A Different Fire
by watermellonfuzz
Summary: What if Firestar had been a she-cat? Finished/discontinued. Added a final chapter, though, to summarize everything I would've covered.
1. Chapter 1

**EDIT; Someone informed me that I'm apparently not allowed to have a chapter 'solely based on a character list' so, here, let me fix that owo**

**ThunderClan**

_Leader_ **Bluestar-** blue-gray she-cat with silver around her muzzle  
**Apprentice, Firepaw**

_Deputy _**Redtail-** small tortoiseshell tom with a distinctive ginger tail  
**Apprentice, Dustpaw**

_Medicine Cat _**Spottedleaf-** beautiful dark tortoiseshell she-cat with a distinctive dappled coat

_Warriors-_

**Lionheart-** magnificent golden tabby tom with thick fur like a lion's mane  
**Apprentice, Graypaw**

**Tigerclaw- **big dark brown tabby tom with unusually long front claws  
**Apprentice, Ravenpaw**

**Whitestorm- **big white tom  
**Apprentice, Sandpaw**

**Willowpelt- **very pale gray she-cat with unusual blue eyes

**Runningwind- **swift tabby tom

**Mousefur- **small dusky brown she-cat

**Stonefur- **gray tom with battle-scarred ears and blue eyes

**Darkstripe- **sleek black-and-gray tabby tom

**Longtail- **pale tabby tom with dark black stripes

_Apprentices_

**Dustpaw-** dark brown tabby tom

**Ravenpaw-** small, skinny black tom with a white dash on his chest, and a white-tipped tail

**Sandpaw-** pale ginger she-cat

**Graypaw-** long-haired solid gray tom

**Firepaw-** pretty ginger she-cat

_Queens_

**Frostfur-** beautiful white she-cat with blue eyes  
_Kits:_ **Cinderkit** (fluffy gray she-cat) and **Brackenkit** (golden-brown tabby tom)

**Brindleface-** pretty tabby she-cat (pregnant)

**Goldenflower-** pale ginger she-cat  
_Kits:_ **Swiftkit-** black and white tom

**Speckletail-** pale tabby, oldest nursery queen (pregnant)

**Mossheart-** pale-gray-and-white she-cat with green eyes  
_Kits:_ **Stormkit** (silver tabby tom), and **Sunkit** (ginger and white tabby tom)

**Mistyfoot-** blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes  
_Kits:_ **Leafkit** (tortoiseshell she-cat), **Dapplekit** (gray she-cat with darker flecks), and **Moonkit** (silver and white tabby she-cat)

_Elders_

**Halftail-** big dark brown tabby tom with part of his tail missing

**Smallear-** gray tom with very small ears, oldest cat in ThunderClan

**Patchpelt-** small black-and-white tom

**Dappletail-** once-pretty tortoiseshell she-cat with a lovely dappled coat

**One-eye-** pale gray she-cat, virtually blind and deaf

**Okay- here's chapter one, then.**

Ember sat on top of her fence, peering into the woods. She had been having strange dreams recently; dreams about hunting in the woods. She crouched, preparing to jump down. One look wouldn't harm anyone…

"Where are you going, Ember?"

The small ginger she-cat nearly jumped out of her fur. She whipped her head around and stared at her black-and-white friend with bright green eyes. "I was just going to go see what it was like in the woods," she answered, flicking her tail.

"You're going _into_ the woods?" Smudge echoed, staring with wide amber eyes at her.

"Well, yes, just for a little while. I wanted to see if I could catch a mouse." After all, she'd only just barely missed the mice in her dreams. Her housefolk always woke her up before she could catch the mouse…

"Well, be careful," Smudge's worried voice broke her out of her thoughts. "Henry says that there are wild cats that eat bones and live rabbits in there!"

"Henry?" she snorted. "That fat old tabby hasn't been into the woods for moons! I bet he hasn't even been there at all. He's probably trying to scare you. I'll be back later, alright? _Then_ you'll see that I'm fine."

Before he could reply, she jumped off of the fence post and onto the soft, grassy earth. She padded into the woods, ears pricked. Not even three tail-lengths in, she froze at the sound of small paws scuttling among the leaves. She felt herself drop into a crouch instinctively, creeping forward silently. It was a mouse! Her heart pounded with excitement. Feeling like she was close enough to the rodent, she leaped. The mouse heard the sound of her bell jingling on her collar, darting for cover.

Ember spat in frustration. She'd almost had it! Suddenly, she became aware of leaves crunching under paws. She spun around, arching her back. "Who's-"

She was cut off as a large gray shape rammed into her flank. She yowled, battering at the larger cat's belly with her hind paws. The cat above her grunted, but didn't release her. She decided to try something else, something more risky; she let herself go limp, hoping that the cat would soften its grip. It worked- she felt the larger cat's grip relax, and she scrambled away from him, darting back in the direction of her housefolk's home.

The cat was running after her. She had to face it! She pivoted, arching her back and hissing. The cat stopped, staring at her. Suddenly he let out a mrrow of laughter, licking a paw and drawing it over his ear.

She didn't relax. She took the opportunity to observe the tom, narrowing her green eyes. He had a gray pelt, and the fur was long and shaggy. He had pale yellow eyes, which were watching her.

"I'll fight you again if I have to," she growled, bristling.

"You fight pretty well for a kittypet!" the tom meowed cheerfully. "My name's Graypaw. I'm an apprentice in ThunderClan! You better feel lucky that I wasn't a ShadowClan warrior. They would have shredded a cat like you!"

Slowly, Ember allowed herself to relax. This 'Graypaw' didn't seem in any hurry to attack her again. He seemed friendly enough, anyway. "Do you live out here?" she asked curiously.

"Of course! We hunt for ourselves and fight to protect our borders from other Clans. They try to steal our prey constantly."

"You-"

Again, she was cut off. This time, however, it was by a she-cat's meow. "That was a good fight, Graypaw. You too, kittypet."

Graypaw whipped around the face the she-cat. He crouched low to the ground, looking respectfully at her. "Bluestar," he greeted, partly for Ember's benefit. Under his breath, he muttered, "She's the leader of my Clan."

Another cat slid out from the bushes- a large golden tabby tom. He stared down at the two cats, and then glanced at the blue-gray she-cat, Bluestar. "I've never seen a kittypet turn back and try to fight," the tom growled.

Graypaw crouched even lower. "That's Lionheart," he whispered, "He's my mentor. A mentor trains their apprentice to become a warrior."

"Thank you for the introduction, Graypaw," the tabby, Lionheart, meowed.

"Kittypet, I've seen you staring into the forest whenever I patrol this border. You probably would have caught that mouse if you hadn't have hesitated so long," Bluestar meowed softly.

Ember blinked in surprise. She was praising her? "T-thank you," she meowed, dipping her head respectfully to the older she-cat.

"Would you like to see what living out here in the wild would be like? We would train you to become a warrior. Don't take this offer lightly, though. You'd have to give up your comfortable, soft life. The Clan cannot offer you such things. However, the rewards are great. You earn your clanmates trust and respect."

Before the ThunderClan leader could continue, Lionheart interrupted. "Bluestar, are you crazy? This is a _kittypet_. She would never be able to survive out here!"

"That may be true, Lionheart-"

Again, she was interrupted, but by Ember this time. "Then why offer me the chance?" she challenged. "I would love the chance! I'd prove anyone who dared to say that I was weak wrong." She heard Graypaw snort disbelievingly at her.

"However," the pretty ginger she-cat continued, "if it's alright… can I have until tomorrow morning? I'd like to say goodbye to a few cats."

Bluestar blinked thoughtfully. "Alright," she meowed finally. "That's acceptable- I can understand that. Lionheart will be here at sunhigh."

"Thank you," Ember meowed, once again dipping her head.

"_They asked you _what?" Smudge meowed, widening his amber eyes.

"They asked me to join their Clan!" she meowed excitedly.

"Why would they do that, though?" Her friend sounded puzzled.

"I guess they need extra paws in their Clan," she answered, shrugging. "But I've decided that I'm going to join them."

"What!" Smudge yelped. "You can't! I'll be alone!"

"No, you won't," she soothed. "My housefolk will get a new cat, and you'll get along with them just fine. You get along with everyone!"

He looked unsure, but nodded. "Alright. Let's just spend this morning together, for old time's sake."

Ember padded forward, into the forest. She could smell the lingering scents of Bluestar, Graypaw, and Lionheart, but she couldn't tell if the golden tabby was there. She sniffed again. Was he…?

"Hello, young one."

She spun around, seeing Lionheart emerge from the bushes.

"Can you tell if I'm alone or not?"

She sniffed. "Bluestar and Graypaw aren't with you this time," Ember meowed hesitantly.

"Good, but someone else is," he murmured.

A big white tom emerged from the same place he had. His eyes were the color of sunbaked sand. He padded forward, sniffing her. "Hello," he purred.

"This is Whitestorm, a senior warrior," Lionheart introduced. "Now, come. Bluestar is expecting us." As he finished his sentence, he turned around, bolting into the bushes. Whitestorm followed quickly.

Ember was gasping for breath by the time they reached the top of a ravine. She heard Lionheart meow, "The entrance to camp is right down there. Come on, we're almost there."

The ginger she-cat scrambled down the rocky slope, relieved when the ground leveled out into a grassy path. She followed Lionheart and Whitestorm, ears flattened to her head. Cats turned to stare at her, curious at her foreign scent.

Her ears pricked when Bluestar padded over to them. "She came," the older she-cat purred.

"Lionheart believed she would not," Whitestorm meowed, flicking his tail.

"Well, how was she?" she prompted.

"She kept up well despite her puny size," Lionheart admitted.

"Good," Bluestar sounded pleased. "Then I shall announce her arrival to the Clan." As she spoke, she walked over to a large rock, leaping up to the top. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

Cats padded out from dens, looking expectantly up at their leader.

"ThunderClan has had fewer kits than usual lately. Our apprentices aren't close to becoming warriors, and we need more warriors. I have found an outsider who is willing to become an apprentice-"

"_Lucky_ to become an apprentice!" Ember flattened her ears to her head, turning to look at the cat who spoke up. It was a pale tabby with black stripes.

Bluestar ignored the interruption. "Lionheart and Whitestorm have met this cat, and they agree that she should be taught our ways."

"What Clan is she from? She doesn't carry any scent that _I_ know!" It was the tabby again.

"That's Longtail," Lionheart murmured. "He smells your fear. They all do. You must prove that you aren't afraid of a fight."

She hesitated, trying to pinpoint his position. He was behind a small brown she-cat and a blue-gray she-cat that looked a lot like Bluestar.

"Do you back down from a challenge?"

She drew her lips back into a snarl, leaping at the tabby. He was completely unprepared for her attack. The two cats were locked in a vicious tussle, clawing at each other's pelts. She retched as the tom gripped her collar between his jaws, pulling on it.

Suddenly, the unwelcome feeling was gone. She was free of her collar. Longtail spat the collar out of his mouth, hissing. One of his ears had a nick in it, and the blood flowed from it onto his shoulder.

"Stop!" Bluestar yowled. She leapt down to their sides. "This kittypet has lost the hold that her Twolegs had on her, and she is free to join ThunderClan as an apprentice."

"You look like fire in the sunlight," she murmured to Ember. "Until this she-cat has earned her warrior name, she will be known as Firepaw."

The Clan called out their approval by yowling her new name. Firepaw closed her eyes, letting it sink in. She was one of them now.

"Firepaw!"

Her eyes shot open, seeing Graypaw in front of her. "Graypaw!" she purred.

"Great name," he meowed. "I'll show you around camp-"

A gray tom with small ears yowled suddenly. She looked to the camp entrance. A skinny black tom was staggering into the clearing, bleeding heavily.

"Redtail is dead!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for not updated for ages, guys. I appreciate the people who reviewed who knows how long ago. I had most of this chapter written a long time ago, but then my laptop died, so I eventually forgot about it w;;; Sorry! But I've FINALLY managed to write more. Soo… please read and review C:**

**~Jayeh**

Firepaw bristled, staring at the black tom in surprise. _Who's Redtail? Who is _this_ cat?_

"That's Ravenpaw," Graypaw hissed from her side. "He'd gone to be in the border fight earlier. His mentor is Tigerclaw, who also went out with the battle patrol. Redtail was our-" Graypaw broke again when a massive dark tabby padded into camp, carrying a dark cat with a bright ginger tail.

"_Redtail!_" The blue-gray she-cat that Firepaw saw sitting in front of Longtail earlier bounded towards Tigerclaw as he dropped the tom's body. The she-cat pressed her nose into the tortoiseshell's fur, trembling.

"Who's she?" Firepaw whispered.

"That's Mistyfoot, Redtail's mate. Bluestar is her mother, and her sister is Mossheart, the gray and white she-cat over there. Her brother is Stonefur, the big gray tom sitting by Lionheart. I imagine Dustpaw, the dark brown tabby next to the tree stump is depressed right now, too. Redtail was his mentor."

Firepaw glanced back to look at Dustpaw. He was crouched low to the ground, his eyes hollow with grief. A pale ginger she-cat nudged him and whispered something in his ear, but he didn't acknowledge that she said anything.

Tigerclaw's growl captured Firepaw's attention. "Redtail died bravely, struck down by Oakheart!" The massive tabby scraped long claws across the ground, leaving scars in the earth. "I was unable to save him, but I did manage to take Oakheart's life while he was still gloating over his victory."

Firepaw frowned and turned to Graypaw. "And who is Oakheart…?"

"Oakheart was RiverClan's deputy."

The ginger she-cat nodded and turned back to the scene at paw. Bluestar finally lifted her head up from watching her daughter mourn over her dead deputy. "That's good, Tigerclaw." There was something is the blue-gray she-cat's eyes that told Firepaw that she was not only mourning Redtail. But no, that couldn't be possible. …right? After all, clan cats didn't seem to associate with other clans in a romantic way.

Bluestar padded slowly over to the Highrock once more, leaping up to the top. "I will now appoint a new deputy," she meowed clearly.

Firepaw looked around, curious to see if any of the cats seemed to expect being appointed. Tigerclaw was the only one who seemed eager. He seemed like a wise choice, in Firepaw's opinion. He did avenge the deputy, right? And he seemed like an amazing warrior…

"I speak these words before the body of Redtail, so that his spirit in StarClan may approve of my choice."

Tigerclaw leaned forward expectantly.

"Lionheart will be the new deputy."

The golden tom looked mildly surprised. He got to his paws, lifting his chin. "I am honored, Bluestar. I will do my best to be a deputy that ThunderClan can be proud of."

Graypaw and Bluestar's other daughter, Mossheart, were the first to start the chant for the new deputy. "Lionheart, Lionheart!" Other cats quickly joined in.

Firepaw glanced over to Tigerclaw, curious to see what the massive tabby would think of her new leader's choice. Tigerclaw's face, however, betrayed no emotion. The tom went over to Lionheart and head butted the golden tabby's shoulder so heartily that Lionheart staggered.

Bluestar was still on the Highrock. "There is one more thing I must do, however, before we start Redtail's vigil. Dustpaw is in need of a new mentor."

The cats quieted and looked up at their blue-gray leader once more.

The ThunderClan leader's blue eyes raked across the clearing, searching for something. Her eyes stopped when they found Stonefur. "Stonefur, your mentor was Dappletail. She taught you valuable skills that I expect you to pass onto young Dustpaw as you continue his training. Do not be afraid to turn to cats who have been a mentor before, seeing as he is your first apprentice."

Stonefur seemed surprised to be called upon to mentor Redtail's former apprentice. However, he dipped his head and padded forward to where Dustpaw was standing and bent his head to touch noses with the dark brown tabby.

"That is all," Bluestar meowed. "We will now prepare Redtail's vigil."

Firepaw's new clanmates gathered around the dead deputy's body, smoothing his fur and murmuring their final farewells. In the end, only Dustpaw, Mistyfoot, Bluestar, Spottedleaf, and Willowpelt remained at his side. Redtail and Mistyfoot's kits, whom she learned were named Leafkit (the tortoiseshell she-kit), Dapplekit (the gray pelted she-kit with darker flecks), and Moonkit (the silver and white tabby she-kit), had grown tired and went into the nursery with their aunt, Mossheart.

The ginger she-cat turned to Graypaw again, realizing she still didn't know which dens were which. "Graypaw… can you show me around, please?"

"Of course. Follow me," he meowed, waving his tail as he turned towards a log covered with moss and other plants. "This is the elders' den," he announced. "The elders are respected for their service to the clan, and we apprentices hunt for them, clean their bedding, and get rid of their ticks. They tell stories to the kits as well."

The gray tom moved away towards the Highrock. "See that hole in the rock?"

Firepaw nodded, seeing the gap covered by lichen.

"That's Bluestar's den. Only her deputy, her kits, and senior warriors go in there. So, if you aren't invited, don't go in." He nodded towards a large bush towards the edge of camp. "That's the warriors' den. The senior warriors sleep towards the middle where it's warmer, while the newer warriors stay at the outer edges."

Firepaw followed her friend as he padded towards another bush. It wasn't as large as the warriors' den, but it was pretty well sized.

"This is the apprentices' den, where we sleep. Apprentices eat by that tree stump over there," he mewed, flicking his tail towards the stump. "You've seen the nursery already… so that's really all there is to see. You already know where the fresh-kill pile is, seeing as it isn't hard to find."

Firepaw peered inside the apprentices' den. "Can I make my nest now?"

"Sure," Graypaw meowed. "Here, I'll help. You can use some of my moss."

After she'd gotten enough moss, she pawed it into how she wanted her nest shaped. She circled in it until it was comfortable enough to lie in and curled up. "This is surprisingly comfortable."

"Yeah, I know! By the way, have you tasted mouse yet?"

Firepaw lifted her head, blinking. "No, I haven't! Can we go get one?"

"Of course! Normally you have to hunt for the clan before you can take anything for yourself, but since we haven't learned to hunt yet, it's fine."

The ginger she-cat leapt out of her nest, padding towards the fresh-kill pile with her tail waving in the air. She sniffed at the body of a mouse before taking it in her jaws and carrying it to the stump.

"I hope you're planning to share that," Graypaw snorted.

"Of course," she answered, taking a mouthful of it. The flavor sang on her tongue, and she closed her eyes to savor it.

"So how is it, Firepaw? I bet it's way better than that kittypet slop you used to have."

"It's amazing!" she mumbled around her food, nodding.

As the two friends finished their mouse, the pale ginger she-cat from earlier padded forward and sniffed Firepaw obnoxiously. Firepaw stiffened, turning her head to look at her. "…who are you?"

"Sandpaw," she answered, narrowing her pale green eyes.

"And what do you want…?"

"Nothing. Just curious to see who this new she-cat is and why Bluestar invited her to join the clan. I think it's stupid that she invited you. You'll just eat all of our food and not do anything useful for us-"

"Sandpaw!" Stonefur, Bluestar's son, growled as he came over to see what all of the ruckus was about. "Your father would have expected you to be more behaved around the newcomer. She just got here; she doesn't need some cat bothering her already. I know for a fact that if I told Whitestorm about this he'd make you clean the elders' den out and look for ticks!"

Sandpaw crouched submissively, bowing her head. "Sorry, Stonefur. I'll try to be more behaved in the future."

"Thanks," Firepaw muttered to Stonefur as he padded away.

He turned his head, blinking. "You're welcome. I would hate to be in your position and have other cats bother me about what I was."

Firepaw purred. Stonefur seemed nice. She hoped she'd be able to get to know him better later…

"I'm going to go to sleep now," she announced, getting to her paws and heading to the apprentices' den for a good night's rest. "Goodnight."


	3. Chapter 3

**FFFFFF I'm sorry for not updating often, guys. I'll try to fix that. w;;; Because I feel bad about not updating for like… three… months… e_e;;;**

**Thanks to the people who reviewed C: I appreciate it. I'm glad you guys like it~**

**Guys, the reason I made Bluestar keep Stonefur/Mistyfoot/Mosskit(heart) was just a personal choice. xD I just wanted to. It makes the story more interesting, I think.**

**~Watermellonfuzz**

Firepaw was up earlier than Graypaw. She'd woken to find that Sandpaw and Dustpaw had already left. They _were_ the older of the apprentices, so maybe they had something important to do? She wasn't sure. She smoothed her ginger fur down and prodded her gray denmate awake.

"Graypaw, wake up!"

The gray tom grumbled, rolling onto his other side. Narrowing her eyes, Firepaw jabbed his side a little harder. "Get up! It's my first day of training, remember? I want you to be there!"

After what seemed like ages, Graypaw finally stood and shook the small scraps of moss from his pelt. "Wait, Bluestar never assigned you a mentor, did she? I wonder who you'll be training with…"

They were greeted by an annoyed looking Tigerclaw when they emerged from the den.

"So you two are finally up?" the massive tabby growled. "Good. Firepaw, since Bluestar hasn't assigned you a mentor yet, Lionheart and I will be sharing the position."

Firepaw's eyes brightened. Two strong warriors were going to help her train! Though, she had to admit, it would be nice to have her own mentor… but Bluestar would take care of that later. She probably had a lot on her mind at the moment.

"What are we doing first?" she meowed as Lionheart padded over.

"We're going to show you the territory," the thick-furred golden tom answered. "Graypaw, I know you've seen it already, but it won't hurt to refresh your-"

"Wait! What about Ravenpaw?" Graypaw cut in, his yellow eyes wide.

"He'll be in Spottedleaf's den for another day or two. He'll catch up on training then," Tigerclaw rumbled, narrowing his eyes at the gray apprentice.

"Okay," he mumbled, shrinking slightly under the warrior's stare.

"Let's go." Without waiting, the two warriors bounded out of the camp's entrance, leaving the two young cats to bolt after them on their much shorter legs.

Firepaw was breathless by the time they got to an area where the trees of the forest thinned until there were none. She stared at the two warriors, wondering what this place was. She'd already seen the sandy hollow (for no more than a few moments before they started running off again) and the Owl Tree.

"This is the Treecut Place," Lionheart meowed. "There won't be anything happening here for another couple moons; it's more active during Greenleaf." With that, they bolted again. Firepaw groaned, forcing herself to run after them. Why couldn't they just _walk_?

The four cats came to a stop at a foul-smelling path.

"What is this?" Firepaw meowed, wrinkling her nose. She hesitantly placed a paw on the oddly colored earth. Well, at least she could walk on it if she needed to…

"This is the Thunderpath," Tigerclaw meowed. "It's where the two-leg monsters are, and it is also our border with ShadowClan."

Lionheart glanced at the two apprentices and stifled a mrrow of laughter. "I suppose it's time for us to head back."

A couple of days later, Ravenpaw joined them. Firepaw discovered that he was nervous and a little skittish, but overall a nice cat. Tigerclaw and Lionheart were explaining to the three younger cats how to do the hunter's crouch.

"So, do any of you three know the difference between hunting a rabbit and hunting a mouse?" Lionheart asked.

Firepaw honestly had no idea. Ravenpaw remained silent, looking at his paws. Graypaw looked at the two of them and snorted before answering, "A rabbit will smell you before it sees you, and a mouse will feel your pawsteps on the ground before it smells you."

Lionheart beamed at his apprentice. "Correct! So what should we keep in mind while stalking mice?"

Firepaw tipped her head. "We should step lightly, right?"

"Right!" Lionheart purred. "You must keep all of your weight on your haunches, so that your paws make no impact on the forest floor. Go on, now, try it!"

Ravenpaw and Graypaw immediately dropped into a hunter's crouch, while Firepaw stared. The two began to creep forward stealthily.

"Well done, Graypaw," Lionheart praised.

"Ravenpaw!" Tigerclaw spat. "Keep your rear down; you look like a duck! Alright, Firepaw, you try it now."

Firepaw crouched down and moved across the forest floor as silently and lightly as she could, but was quickly scolded by Tigerclaw.

"You've obviously only know the life of a kittypet," he growled. "Do you honestly expect that your prey is going to come and lie down between your paws and beg you to kill it?"

Firepaw sat up and flattened her ears to her head, surprised by his harsh words. "No, Tigerclaw," she mumbled.

Lionheart took that moment to speak up. "Her pace and forward movement will come later, Tigerclaw. Her crouch is perfectly balanced."

Tigerclaw shot a dark look at his own apprentice. "That's better than Ravenpaw, I suppose. Ha! Imagine being shown up by a kittypet! Even after two moons, you still put all of your weight on your right side."

Ravenpaw looked at the ground again, looking dejected. Firepaw bristled and growled, "His injury is bothering him, that's all!"

Tigerclaw turned his head and glowered at the small ginger apprentice. "Injuries happen," he hissed. "He should be able to get used to it. Even you, Firepaw, have learned something today! If Ravenpaw picked up things as quickly as you, he'd actually be a _credit_ instead of an _embarrassment_!"

Firepaw couldn't bring herself to look at Ravenpaw, so she looked at her small paws.

"Well, _I'm_ more lopsided than a one-legged badger," mewed Graypaw, breaking off from his ever-so-careful stalking to stumble comically across the clearing. "Maybe I'll just hunt stupid mice- they won't stand a chance! I'll simply wander over to them and sit on them until they surrender!"

Firepaw just barely suppressed her purr of amusement. Lionheart cast a stern glance at his apprentice. "Graypaw, now is not the time for your jokes! Perhaps you would be able to concentrate more if you did some _real_ stalking…"

All three of them looked up at the golden warrior eagerly. Did he mean…?

"I want each of you to catch real prey; Ravenpaw, you go to the Owl Tree. Graypaw, try the big bramble patch over there. Firepaw, you go follow the rabbit track over that rise- you'll find a dry bed of a winter stream. You might find something there."

Firepaw nodded and crept over the rise, sniffing. She scanned the dry riverbed for any possible sign of life. She opened her mouth, tasting the air. She picked up a scent and turned to face the direction it was from. It was a mouse, she realized, recognizing the smell. She crept silently over to where the small creature was, spying it among the grass by the edge of the streambed. She moved a little closer and wriggled her haunches, preparing to spring. Pushing back on her hindpaws, she sprung onto the mouse. She killed it with a swift bite and lifted her prey.

_Now I'm a real apprentice_, she thought as she proudly carried her mouse back to the two warrior toms.

Two moons later, Firepaw was completely used to her life in ThunderClan. She enjoyed playing with the kits in the clan when she had breaks from her apprentice duties. Frostfur and Mistyfoot's kits were four moons old now, while Mossheart's were three moons old. Swiftkit, Goldenflower's lone kit, was five moons old. Brindleface would have her kits in a moon or so, whereas Speckletail had around two more moons. Judging by the way Mousefur and Longtail acted around each other, she had a feeling there might be even more kits for ThunderClan soon…

But enough of that. She was on a mission right now; a mission to hunt for her clan. She longed to catch something for herself, but Lionheart's words rung in her ears; _Hunt for your clan first._

Something smelled off, though, in her surroundings. She sat up straight, pricking her ears as she scanned the area. Hm, there didn't _appear_ to be anything off-

"Mrrrowww!"

She had no time to prepare herself for the attack of the larger cat. She yowled in surprise, trying to take her hindpaws down her attacker's belly. This, however, proved to be useless; her attacker's gray fur was so horribly tangled and grimy that her claws would get stuck.

So, she did what she felt like she had to do. She went limp in the larger cat's grip, causing her attacker to let out a triumphant noise and loosen their grip. Firepaw took the opportunity to wriggle free and launch herself at the cat, who she now realized was a she-cat with a flat face. She raked her claws down the she-cat's face. The gray cat recoiled, letting out a hiss of pain.

Firepaw's fur fluffed up to make her look twice her size. "Give up?" she hissed. She could not- _would_ not- let this she-cat do whatever she wanted on _ThunderClan_ territory!

"Firepaw!"

Upon hearing her name, she spun around to see Graypaw, Tigerclaw, and Whitestorm running towards her and her attacker. _Thank StarClan,_ she thought.

Tigerclaw's amber eyes widened upon seeing the gray she-cat that had attacked Firepaw. "Well, well, well, Firepaw… you've captured us a ShadowClan cat!"

Firepaw blinked. _What?_

Whitestorm padded over cautiously, sniffing the she-cat, who retaliated by snapping her jaws at him. The large white warrior backed off. "This is Yellowfang, Firepaw. She's ShadowClan's medicine cat. I can't figure out why she would possibly be over in our territory, though… it seems like a long and risky journey to take just to take some herbs."

"Let's take her to Bluestar," Tigerclaw hissed. "She'll tell us what to do with her."

"You aren't taking me anywhere!" Yellowfang spoke for the first time in a raspy voice, baring her yellow-stained teeth.

"Yes, we are," Tigerclaw snapped, shoving her roughly in the direction of camp.

Yellowfang staggered, limping awkwardly on one of her paws.

"I think she's hurt," Firepaw fretted. "Be gentler, Tigerclaw."

Whitestorm glanced at Yellowfang and then to Firepaw before telling Tigerclaw, "I think that would be wise, Tigerclaw."

Tigerclaw snarled, but handled her slightly gentler after being told to by the older warrior.

When they got back to camp, Bluestar was out of her den in moments.

"Yellowfang?" she meowed in surprise. "Why is she here…?"

"Firepaw found her on our territory while she was on a hunting assignment," Whitestorm explained. "She apparently tried to put up a fight, but one of her legs is hurt."

"I still don't understand why ShadowClan's medicine cat is here and in this state," Bluestar mewed slowly, narrowing her blue eyes.

"She never told us why," the white warrior answered.

"I bet she's here to spy!" Tigerclaw spat.

"Tigerclaw, why would ShadowClan send a _medicine cat_ to spy? Be logical!" Whitestorm frowned, glancing at the dark warrior.

Yellowfang bristled. "I am _not_ here to spy! I'm no longer a member of ShadowClan."

All five of the cats stared at Yellowfang before Bluestar asked, "Why is that?"

"They made me leave," the flat-faced gray cat grumbled, looking away.

Firepaw spoke up. "Bluestar, I think she should stay until she's in better travelling condition. She can leave then, right?"

Graypaw shot an incredulous look at his friend. Firepaw glared back. The gray tom hesitated before mumbling, "I think so, too, Bluestar."

Bluestar eyed them both thoughtfully. "Well… that does seem like a good plan-"

"Yellowfang?"

Spottedleaf had arrived, having sensed an injured cat in camp. "Can I get you some herbs, Yellowfang? I can help you-"

"I'm fine," the former medicine cat grunted. "Don't worry your pretty little pelt over me."

Spottedleaf blinked in surprise. "Alright. My den is over there if you'd like some herbs later." She flicked her tail towards the rocky area.

Yellowfang didn't respond. Instead, she focused her attention on Bluestar. "Bluestar, I would be grateful if you let me stay until I've healed," she rasped.

Bluestar nodded. "We will let you stay for now. We have a spare den by the elders' den over there; I believe there's some moss there you can use for a nest."

Yellowfang dipped her head and limped over to the area.

Bluestar turned her head to Firepaw. "Since it was your idea, you will care for her."

Firepaw swallowed her protest. She had to work with _that_ grumpy cat? "Yes, Bluestar."

"You will hunt for her, clear her dirty bedding, and get rid of her dirt."

_Oh, great StarClan. What did I get myself into?_ "Yes, Bluestar."

"That is all. You may go to your den to rest, you two. You'll have a busy day tomorrow, Firepaw."

Firepaw dipped her head and padded slowly to her nest and flopped down in it with a groan.

"You brought it onto yourself," Graypaw snorted as he curled into his nest.

"I know, but still…" Firepaw yawned, closing her eyes. "G'night, Graypaw."

"Goodnight, Firepaw."


	4. Chapter 4

On her first day of taking care of Yellowfang, Firepaw was prodded awake roughly. She opened her eyes slowly, blinking sleep away from her eyes to see a very annoyed looking Dustpaw glaring down at her.

"Go get that mangy she-cat some fresh-kill before she wakes the whole camp!" he snarled. "For StarClan's sake, how did you sleep through her yowling?" He sniffed, stalking out of the apprentices' den.

_He must be on the dawn patrol_, Firepaw thought, watching him leave. She sat up in her nest and gave her fur a quick grooming before leaving the den to get Yellowfang a mouse from the fresh-kill pile. The apprentice then proceeded to walk to Yellowfang's den and linger at the entrance. _I hope she won't be too grumpy…_

"I can smell you out there, kittypet."

Firepaw jumped. She padded in and dropped the mouse in front of the she-cat sheepishly. "How do you know that I used to be a kittypet?"

"I heard it at a gathering a couple moons ago. A couple apprentices were gossiping about how a ginger kittypet had joined ThunderClan. Seeing as how the only other ginger apprentice was your former deputy's daughter, I figured it was you," Yellowfang answered, immediately gulping down the mouse she'd been given.

She flattened her ears. "I _used_ to be a kittypet, yes. I'm an apprentice of ThunderClan now."

"Was your father a kittypet? Your mother a kittypet?"

"Well, yes-"

"Having kittypet blood just isn't the same as having warrior blood. Just run back to your twolegs, why don't you? I can't believe you've even lasted this long. It's _humiliating_ to be fussed over by such a _lowborn_ cat such as yourself!" Yellowfang sneered.

Firepaw was trembling by the time the old she-cat finished. She wasn't trembling with fear, nor was she trembling with sadness; she was trembling with rage. "How _dare_ you?" she spat. "You're just a miserable excuse of a she-cat! You'd be humiliated being cared for by a clanborn cat! You'd be humiliated being cared for by a cat from your own clan! You're humiliated to have to be cared for in general. Well, guess what? You're just going to have to deal with being cared for! Bluestar ordered me to care for you, so I will, no matter how _rude_ or _obnoxious _you are!"

The gray she-cat stared at Firepaw with wide orange eyes. Firepaw suddenly felt somewhat bad about what she'd said. Suddenly, Yellowfang started to make a low, harsh wheezing sound. The ginger apprentice's eyes widened as she stepped forward. "Yellowfang, are you… wait, are you _laughing_?"

Yellowfang was, in fact, laughing. A purr was rumbling from deep inside her chest as she replied, "You certainly have spirit, kittypet. I'm tired and my leg hurts. I need something to put on this wound, so go and find that pretty medicine cat of yours and ask her for some herbs. I think goldenrod poultice will help. And while you're at it, get me some poppy seeds to chew on. This pain is killing me!"

Firepaw nodded silently, wide-eyed and surprised by the old she-cat's sudden mood change. She turned and quickly bounded over to Spottedleaf's den. She paused at the entrance of the den, staring around. She'd never been to this part of camp before… she'd never had a reason to.

Spottedleaf poked her head out from a spot behind a large clump of grass. "Oh, hello, Firepaw. What can I do for you?" The medicine cat radiated friendliness, and Firepaw found herself relaxing in her presence.

"Oh, um, Yellowfang wanted some herbs for her leg… she said something about a goldenrod poultice and some poppy seeds," the ginger she-cat mumbled awkwardly.

The tortoiseshell nodded. "Alright; I'll throw some marigold leaves in, too. If she dresses her wound with them, it'll keep off any infections."

A few moments later, the medicine cat returned with a bundle of leaves. "Make sure Yellowfang goes easy on the poppy seeds, will you? A little pain is useful; it'll help me judge how well she's healing."

Firepaw nodded and picked up the herbs carefully with her teeth. "Thanks, Spottedleaf," she mumbled around the leaves, and padded back to Yellowfang. As she was padding to Yellowfang's den, she noticed Tigerclaw staring at her with narrowed eyes. The small ginger apprentice paused and turned her head to blink curiously at the dark warrior. He turned his head away. Firepaw tipped her head in confusion before continuing to the former ShadowClan medicine cat's den and dropped the herbs at Yellowfang's paws.

"Good," the flat-faced she-cat grunted. "You can go now."

It had been three days since Yellowfang had come to camp, and of course, Firepaw was still caring for her.

The ginger apprentice had stopped to talk to the other apprentices, curious as to what they were doing with their mentors today. She wished she was out training again… all she got to do was hunt.

"Lionheart's taking me to the Great Sycamore to practice my climbing," Graypaw meowed.

Ravenpaw licked one of his paws and drew it over an ear. "Tigerclaw and Whitestorm are taking Sandpaw and I to do some battle training."

Firepaw sighed. "I wish I could do some battle training…"

Sandpaw cast a sympathetic look at her. "I'm sure Bluestar will let you train again soon. She knows that training the apprentices is important."

Still downcast, she turned to Dustpaw. "What are you and Stonefur doing, Dustpaw?"

The dark brown tabby shrugged. "We're going to go on a hunting patrol with Runningwind, Mousefur, and Longtail."

"I wish I could go," she grumbled.

Stonefur padded over. "Dustpaw, we're ready to leave. Come on." He paused, glancing at Firepaw. "My mother will let you get back to warrior training soon, don't worry. You're doing a good job with Yellowfang."

Firepaw looked up at him. "Thanks, Stonefur."

Stonefur nodded, signaling to Dustpaw with a flick of his tail that they were leaving.

Firepaw turned back to Graypaw, Ravenpaw, and Sandpaw. "I better go see how Yellowfang is. Have fun, you three." The ginger apprentice turned and padded back to the fresh-kill pile, taking a sparrow off of the top and dropping it at Yellowfang's paws. "Can I do anything else for you?"

She opened her eyes. "I think I have some ticks. Get me some mouse-bile, would you?"

Firepaw went to Spottedleaf's den, requesting for some mouse-bile. The medicine cat left to the back of her den briefly before returning with a stick with oddly smelling moss on the end. She set it down and told Firepaw, "Make sure not to take the moss in your mouth; your mouth will taste foul for days. Wash your paws in the river you use the moss."

The she-cat nodded, taking the stick in her jaws and returning to Yellowfang. Taking the moss into her paws, she pressed it onto the she-cat pelt where the ticks were.

Yellowfang's eyes had been closed, but she half opened one as she heard the kits play-fighting. Suddenly, to Firepaw's surprise, she stiffened. The ginger she-cat paused, watching the kits play-fight.

Sunkit had launched himself on top of his brother, Stormkit, who was pretending to be the ShadowClan leader. "Feel my teeth, Brokenstar!" he growled.

Stormkit squirmed underneath his littermate's body. Suddenly, he gave a powerful heave and flung the gold-and-white tom off of his back. With a startled squeak, Sunkit tumbled into Yellowfang's side.

The old she-cat instantly leapt to her feet, causing Firepaw to stagger backwards, mouse-bile in paw. She spit violently, glaring at the kit. "Stay away from me, you scrap of fur!"

Sunkit took one look at the enraged she-cat and turned tail, running back to Mossheart, who glared furiously at Yellowfang. Stormkit stared at Yellowfang for a moment before cautiously backing towards the safety of the nursery.

Firepaw frowned at Yellowfang. Her eyes were burning with a rage Firepaw had never seen before. She'd thought that the old she-cat had looked vicious when they first met, but this was different… "I think the kits are just finding it hard being confined to camp," she meowed carefully. "They're getting restless, that's all."

"I don't care _how_ restless they are!" growled Yellowfang. "Just keep them away from me!"

"Don't you like kits? Did you never have kits of your own?"

"Don't you know medicine cats don't have kits?" she hissed furiously.

"Well, yes, but I heard you used to be a warrior," the apprentice ventured.

"I have no kits!" Yellowfang spat. She pulled herself away from her. "Anyway," her voice lowered suddenly. "Accidents seem to happen to kits when I'm around them." Her orange eyes were clouded with emotion. She laid her chin on her forepaws and stared ahead. Firepaw blinked as the older she-cat sighed and let her shoulders sink.

"I finished with your ticks," she mumbled. "I'll leave now." She backed out of the den, sighing. She padded towards the camp entrance, pausing to watch the queens and elders work on the camp barrier. Everyone had been a little edgy since Bluestar had announced WindClan's disappearance a few days ago.

Halftail padded up to her. "Where are you going, Firepaw?"

"I was going to go for a walk, to be honest," she mumbled sheepishly.

"Don't come back without any prey," Halftail meowed. "The clan could use some."

A few days later, Speckletail padded over to Firepaw as the ginger she-cat was leaving Yellowfang's den.

"Hello," Firepaw meowed. "Are you going to see Yellowfang?"

"Why would I want to see _that_ unnatural creature?" Speckletail snorted. "No, it was you I was looking for. Bluestar wanted to see you; she's about to call a meeting. She just wanted to be sure you were in camp."

Firepaw tipped her head in confusion. As she opened her mouth to ask why, Bluestar called the familiar words for a clan meeting as she sat on top of the Highrock. The cats gathered around the base of the rock, curious to see what their leader wanted.

"I've decided Firepaw has cared for Yellowfang long enough. It is time for her to get back to her warrior training. To speed up the process of training our apprentices, I shall take on Firepaw as my own apprentice."

There were a few gasps and shocked meows. _Bluestar_ was taking on an apprentice?

"Congratulations," Graypaw meowed, headbutting his friend's shoulder. "It's considered an honor to be mentored by the clan leader."

Firepaw blinked at him. "Thank you… I can't believe she wants to mentor me!"

Bluestar leaped down from the Highrock, signaling that the meeting was over. She padded over to Tigerclaw and Lionheart, murmuring quietly to them. Lionheart and Tigerclaw both nodded, seeming to agree with what the blue-gray she-cat was saying. As she walked back to her den, the two warriors went to Ravenpaw, Graypaw, and Firepaw.

"We will be giving you an assessment today," Tigerclaw growled.

The three apprentices leaped to their paws, giddy with excitement.

"When will we start?" Graypaw meowed.

"We're leaving to start the assessment right now. Follow us," the tabby answered, prowling out of camp.

Once they'd reached a large white rock in the woods, they stopped. Tigerclaw raked his eyes over the three apprentices before addressing Graypaw. "Graypaw, you go towards the stream and hunt there."

"Yay," he mumbled. "Wet paws for me!"

Firepaw purred with amusement as he left. Poor Graypaw; he hated getting his pelt wet.

"Firepaw, you go towards the twoleg place." Firepaw blinked in surprise before leaving.

She paused as she reached a grassy area by the twoleg place. She scented rabbit! She scanned the area, trying to spot the creature. She pinpointed its location easily; it was nibbling at some dandelions by the base of a tree. Grateful that she was downwind of the small mammal, she crept silently towards it. When she was in striking distance, she leapt, killing it with a sharp nip to the neck. She lifted it, pleased with its weight. It was definitely good and plump. It'd make a good meal for the queens… She buried it quickly and returned to her hunt.

On her way down the path, she caught a sparrow, a crow, and two mice. Proud of herself, Firepaw paused to rest for a moment.

_Snap!_

She whipped around, bristling. She scented an unfamiliar cat! She crept towards the noise, green eyes narrowed dangerously. Whoever was on ThunderClan territory would regret it. Spotting the intruder, a black and white tom, she launched herself at him.

The tom yowled in surprise and attempted to fight back. However, seeing as how Firepaw had battle training (though, her moves were a little rusty, having not practiced for days…), he was easily dominated. She pressed a sheathed paw to the tom's throat. "Who are you?" she growled.

"I- I- I was just looking around! Don't kill me, please!" the tom wailed.

Firepaw blinked, tipping her head. That voice was familiar…

"Smudge?"

The tom looked even more frightened. "H-how d-do you know my name?"

"It's me, Ember! You know, the she-cat who lived next door to you? We were kits together!" She removed her paw from his throat, sitting back on her haunches.

"Ember?" Smudge's amber eyes widened. "Is it really you? Did you find the wild cats again? Or are you living with new housefolk? You must be, considering you're still alive!"

"No, I live with the wild cats now," she meowed.

"But you're so thin! Don't you eat?" he fretted.

"I catch my own food," she snorted. "I don't need housefolk to feed me." She paused, frowning at him. "Smudge… you smell… different."

He blinked in surprise. "You must just be used to the wild cats' scents."

"No, I would never forget your scent- I grew up with you!" The ginger she-cat narrowed her eyes for a moment before the realization hit her. "You've been to the Cutter!"

"…the what?"

"The Cutter- I mean, the vet!"

"Well, yes… anyway, I need to go. Mealtime soon, ya know?" he shrugged his plump black shoulders.

"Alright, just go carefully, Smudge. Not all wild cats are as friendly as I am with house cats."

Firepaw caught another sparrow before returning to Tigerclaw. Apparently she was the first one back, because Graypaw and Ravenpaw weren't there…

"I've got loads more prey back there," she meowed. "I buried it-"

"I know exactly what you did," Tigerclaw growled. "I've been watching you."

Bushes rustled, signaling Graypaw's return. The gray tom spat out a squirrel. "Yuck! Squirrels are too furry. I'll be picking hairs out of my teeth all evening!"

Tigerclaw ignored him, staring off into the distance. "Ravenpaw's late," he observed. "We'll give him a bit longer before returning to camp."

"Tigerclaw, what if he was bitten by an adder?" Firepaw fretted, glancing in the direction of the Snake Rocks worriedly.

"Then it's his own fault," Tigerclaw answered coldly. "There is definitely no room for _fools_ in ThunderClan."

Silence followed his statement. Firepaw and Graypaw exchanged worried glances while Tigerclaw sat motionlessly, apparently lost in his own thoughts.

Firepaw was the first to scent Ravenpaw's arrival. She jumped to her paws as the black tom leaped into the clearing, looking oddly pleased with himself. Dangling from his jaws was the long, diamond-patterned body of an adder.

"Ravenpaw! Are you okay?" Firepaw questioned, flicking her tail.

Graypaw rushed forward to examine Ravenpaw's catch. "Did that bite you?" he mewed in awe.

"I was too quick for it!" he purred loudly. Then, catching his mentor's eye, he quickly fell silent.

Tigerclaw fixed the three excited apprentices in his cold amber gaze. "Come on," he grunted, "Let's collect the rest of your prey and get back to camp."

Tigerclaw strolled out of Bluestar's den once the apprentices had finished bringing all of their prey back to camp.

"Firepaw, Bluestar wants to see you."

Firepaw's eyes widened nervously. "Alright, I'm going…"

As she padded into her leader's den, Bluestar was just finishing grooming her blue-gray pelt. The she-cat looked up. "Firepaw," she greeted. "Tigerclaw told me he saw you with a kittypet today. He said you started out fighting with him, but ended up talking."

The ginger she-cat's pelt prickled uncomfortably. "Well, yes… he was a friend from when I was a kittypet," she admitted.

Bluestar blinked at her before sighing. "Do you wish to return to your kittypet life, Firepaw? Perhaps I expected too much of you…"

"No!" She jumped to her paws, bristling in alarm. "My place is _here_, Bluestar, in _ThunderClan_. Talking with Smudge today was nice, but it made me think about how I was glad to have left my housefolk. My life is so much better here; I know I belong here."

Her blue-gray leader was silent for a long moment. "Very well. I believe you."

Firepaw let out a sigh of relief. _That's good…_

"I spoke with Yellowfang today," her leader meowed conversationally. "She thinks a lot of you. She's a wise old cat, you know. I suspect she wasn't always bad-tempered. Indeed… I think I could grow to like her."

Firepaw felt an unexpected glow of pleasure at her leader's words. Maybe, while she'd been caring for Yellowfang, her admiration had grown into affection, despite the old cat's bad temper. Whatever the reason was, she was glad Bluestar liked the gray she-cat.

"Anyway… despite showing bad judgment in talking to a kittypet, Tigerclaw _was_ impressed with your hunting skills. In fact, he reported all three of you did well. I am pleased with your progress. You will come to the Gathering- all three of you."

Firepaw beamed. "Thank you, Bluestar!" However, remembering the other apprentices, she frowned. "What about Dustpaw and Sandpaw?"

"Those two will stay behind and guard camp," she dismissed the thought with a wave of her tail. "You may go now."

Graypaw and Ravenpaw blinked in surprise as Firepaw bounded happily towards them. They'd been waiting nervously by the tree stump. Firepaw sat down by her friends, beaming.

"What did she say?" Graypaw demanded.

"Tigerclaw told us you'd been sharing tongues with a _kittypet_ this morning," Ravenpaw burst out. "Are you in trouble?"

"No," Firepaw meowed. "Bluestar wasn't happy about it, though. She thought I might want to leave ThunderClan."

"What? Of course you don't! …right?" Ravenpaw frowned, flicking his skinny black tail nervously.

"Of course she doesn't!" Graypaw meowed.

"Yeah, you'd hate that," she snorted, swiping at her friend affectionately with a ginger paw. "You need me to catch mice for you! All you catch these days are hairy old squirrels."

Graypaw dodged out of the way of Firepaw's blow, rearing up on his hind legs to retaliate.

Firepaw ignored him, though. She was too excited to play-fight. "You'll never guess what else she said!"

Ravenpaw tipped his head, while Graypaw immediately sat back down and asked, "What?"

"We're going to the Gathering!" she purred.

Graypaw let out a yowl of delight and bounded up onto the tree stump. One of his back paws knocked the adder flying onto Ravenpaw's head.

The black tom spat with alarm and surprise, turning on Graypaw. "Watch it!" he hissed crossly, shaking the adder onto the ground.

"Scared it might try to bite you?" Firepaw teased. She crouched down, hissing, and sidled up to Ravenpaw.

Ravenpaw's whiskers twitched and he retorted, "Some snake you'd make!" He leaped onto Firepaw and rolled her easily onto her back.

Graypaw reached down from the tree stump and tugged on Ravenpaw's tail. As Ravenpaw turned to whack him with a forepaw, Firepaw jumped to her paws and leaped into the both. Graypaw went flying from the stump, and the three cats tumbled in the dirt. Finally they fell apart, settling down, panting, by the tree stump.

"Are Sandpaw and Dustpaw coming, too?" Ravenpaw panted.

"Nope!" Firepaw grinned, unable to disguise her triumph. "They get to stay behind and guard the camp."

Ravenpaw looked up to the darkening sky. "I wonder what the Gathering will be like."

"I bet it'll be amazing," Graypaw replied excitedly, circling in his spot. "All of the awesome warriors will be there. Clawface, Mudclaw, Leopardfur…"

Firepaw had stopped listening. She found herself thinking about Tigerclaw and Smudge. It _had_ been bad luck that the warrior had been observing her when she met her old friend. Why couldn't he have been watching Ravenpaw or Graypaw instead? In fact, it was bad luck that Tigerclaw had sent her so near to the twoleg place at all!

A dark thought entered her mind suddenly. Why had Tigerclaw sent her so near to her old home? Had he wanted to test her? Could it be that the dark tabby warrior didn't trust his loyalty to ThunderClan?


	5. Chapter 5

**Guys, I know that Firepaw's warrior ceremony isn't exactly close (but I guess it's not very far away), but do you think she should keep Firestar's original name, Fireheart? Or should she have a different name? Here are some choices;**

**A: Fireflower  
B: Firesong  
C: Firefang  
D: Firestorm**

**I'm kind of leaning towards keeping Fireheart, but I'll do whatever the majority thinks.**

Firepaw stared with wide green eyes at the large grassy area that was surrounded by four giant oaks. "Wow," she breathed. "That's amazing." She glanced towards her Clanmates, who were crouched not far from her, Ravenpaw, and Graypaw. Bluestar flicked her tail suddenly, signaling that they needed to move towards the Gathering area.

"There's Crookedstar!" Graypaw hissed. "He's RiverClan's leader."

Firepaw looked around. "Where?"

"On the Great Rock! It's where the leaders gather. He's the big, light brown tabby up there," he answered.

The ginger she-cat looked up, seeing the large tom. His jaw looked weird… was that why he was called Crookedstar?

"Look! It's Brokenstar!" growled Ravenpaw, bristling. "He's ShadowClan's leader."

"Look at his tail!" Graypaw meowed.

The dark brown tabby's fur was unusually long, and he had a broad, flat face. There was a stillness in the way he sat that bothered Firepaw. The tom's eyes were narrowed and watchful.

"He looks kind of nasty," Firepaw meowed.

"Yeah," Graypaw agreed. "He's got a reputation among the Clans for not suffering fools gladly. He hasn't been leader long, either. Just four moons, actually- he's been leader since his father, Raggedstar, died."

"What does the leader of WindClan look like?" she asked curiously.

"Tallstar? I've heard that he's a black and white cat with a really long tail," he mewed.

"Can you see him?" Ravenpaw asked, peering around all of the cats for a tom that fit Graypaw's description.

Graypaw narrowed his eyes, searching the crowd. "Nope."

"Can you scent _any_ WindClan cats?" Firepaw asked, frowning.

Graypaw shook his head. "No, I don't."

Lionheart's meow sounded quietly behind them. "The WindClan cats might just be late."

"But what if they don't turn up at all?" Ravenpaw mewed worriedly.

The deputy blinked at the three apprentices before walking off.

"Look at that cat's paws!" Firepaw hissed suddenly, staring at a large white tom with black paws.

"I think that's Blackfoot," mewed Graypaw. "He's ShadowClan's new deputy."

The tom stalked over to Brokenstar and sat down beside him. The ShadowClan leader twitched one ear to acknowledge him, but said nothing.

"When does the Gathering begin?" Ravenpaw meowed to Whitestorm.

"Patience, Ravenpaw," the large white tom answered. "The sky is clear tonight, so we have plenty of time."

Lionheart leaned over and added, "We warriors like to spend some time boasting about or victories, while the elders swap tales about the ancient days before the twolegs came here." The three apprentices looked up at him and saw the golden tom's whiskers twitch mischievously.

Dappletail, One-eye, and Smallear were with a group of elderly cats who were settled beneath one of the oak trees. Whitestorm and Lionheart padded off to another pair of warriors whom Firepaw didn't recognize. She sniffed the air and discovered that they were RiverClan.

"Don't waste any time tonight."

Firepaw and Ravenpaw jumped, whipping their heads around to stare at the cat who had spoken. Graypaw turned more slowly, appearing to be calmer.

"What do you mean, Bluestar?" Firepaw meowed, frowning at the blue-gray she-cat.

"This is a good opportunity to meet your enemies," Bluestar explained. "Listen to them; remember what they look like and how they behave. There is a great deal to be learned from these meetings. It could potentially give you the upper paw in battle."

"And say little," warned Tigerclaw. "Don't give anything away that might be used against us once the moon has waned."

The leader's ginger-furred apprentice nodded dutifully. "Of course not! We wouldn't dare!" she promised, shooting a glance at her two friends, who both nodded hastily. The feeling that Tigerclaw didn't trust her loyalty still lingered with her. Why didn't he just trust her? She wasn't going to be disloyal!

As the two older cats moved away, Firepaw sighed. "What do we do now?"

"What they said," Ravenpaw replied. "We listen."

"And don't say too much," Graypaw added.

Firepaw nodded. "I'm going to go see where Tigerclaw went."

"I'm going to go find Lionheart, then," Graypaw meowed. "You gonna come with me, Ravenpaw?"

The black tom shook his head. "No, thanks. I'm going to find some of the other apprentices."

"We'll catch up later, then," meowed Firepaw, turning and trotting off in Tigerclaw's direction. She scented him easily and found him sitting in the center of a group of massive warriors, behind the Great Rock. Tigerclaw was speaking.

It was a story Firepaw had heard many times at camp. Tigerclaw was describing his recent battle against the RiverClan hunting party. "I wrestled like a LionClan cat," he crowed. "Three warriors tried to hold me down, but I threw them off. I fought them until two lay knocked out and then other had run off like a kit crying for his mother."

This time Tigerclaw didn't mention killing Oakheart in vengeance for Redtail's death. _He probably doesn't want to offend the RiverClan warriors,_ she decided. _I doubt they'd react very well to that._

Firepaw listened politely to the end of the story, but a familiar scent had distracted her. As soon as Tigerclaw finished speaking, Firepaw turned and crept silently away towards the familiar scent, which was coming from a group of cats nearby.

She found Graypaw sitting among these cats, but that wasn't the scent she'd recognized. Sitting opposite of Graypaw, between a RiverClan tom and Spottedleaf, was Stonefur. Firepaw shot a shy glance at Stonefur and settled down by her gray-pelted friend, tucking her paws under her chest.

"Still no scent of WindClan," she murmured to Graypaw.

"The meeting still hasn't begun yet," he dismissed. "They'll probably come soon. Anyway, look! There' Runningnose. He's the new ShadowClan medicine cat, apparently." He nodded towards a small gray-and-white cat at the center of the group.

"I can see why they call him Runningnose," Firepaw snorted. The medicine cat's nose was wet at the tip and encrusted around the edges.

"Yeah," Graypaw replied with a scornful growl. "I can't see why they appointed him when he can't even cure his own cold!"

Runningnose was telling the cats about a herb that medicine cats had used in the old days to cure kitten-cough. "Since the twolegs came and filled the place with hard earth and strange flowers," he complained in a high-pitched yowl, "the herb has disappeared, and kittens die needlessly in cold weather!" The cats gathered around him yowled in disapproval.

"It never would've happened in the time of the great Clan cats," a black RiverClan queen growled.

"Yeah," mewed a silver tabby apprentice, also from RiverClan, who narrowed her blue eyes. "The great cats would have killed any twolegs that dared enter their territory. If TigerClan roamed the forest still, twolegs would not have built this far into our land!"

Then Firepaw heard Spottedleaf's soft meow. "If TigerClan still roamed these forests, then _we_ would hardly have made our territory here, either."

"What's TigerClan?" squeaked a small tabby next to Firepaw. He smelled like ShadowClan.

"TigerClan is one of the great Clans that used to roam the forest," Graypaw explained quietly. "TigerClan have cats of the night, big as horses, with jet-black stripes. Then there's LionClan. They're… um…" Graypaw hesitated, struggling to remember.

"Oh! I've heard of them," mewed the tabby. "They were as big as TigerClan cats, with yellow fur and gold manes like rays of the sun."

Graypaw nodded at the small tom. "And then there's another… SpottyClan or something like that…"

"I suspect you're thinking of LeopardClan, Graypaw," meowed Stonefur, twitching his tail in amusement.

The tom shook his head in mock-despair. "Don't you know your history? LeopardClan are the swiftest cats, huge and golden, spotted with black pawprints. You can thank LeopardClan for the speed and hunting skills you now possess."

The tabby next to Firepaw had wide green eyes now. "Thank them? Why?"

Stonefur gazed down at the little apprentice and answered, "There's a trace of all the great cats in every cat today. We would not be night hunters without our TigerClan ancestors, and our love for the sun's warmth comes from LionClan." The big gray tom paused. "You are a ShadowClan apprentice, aren't you? How many moons are you?"

The tabby stiffened, shuffling his paws. "S-six moons," he mumbled, not meeting Stonefur's blue gaze.

"Rather small for six moons," he murmured. His tone was gentle, but his eyes were searching and serious.

"My mother was small, too. Her name's Dawncloud," the small tabby answered nervously. He bowed his head and backed away, disappearing into the crowd of cats with a twitch of his light brown tail.

Stonefur tilted his head, but turned to Firepaw and Graypaw. "At least someone's interested in Clan history," he snorted.

Firepaw and Graypaw ducked their heads in embarrassment.

"Oh, go away, you two! Next time I hope Bluestar decides to bring apprentices who appreciate what they hear," he twitched an ear in amusement.

"Come on," Graypaw purred, "let's go find Ravenpaw."

Ravenpaw was in the middle of a group of apprentices who were clamoring for him to tell them about the battle with RiverClan.

"Go on, Ravenpaw, tell us what happened!" called a pretty black-and-white she-cat.

Ravenpaw shuffled his paws shyly and shook his head.

"Aww, come on, Ravenpaw!" insisted another.

Ravenpaw looked around and saw Firepaw and Graypaw at the edge of the crowd. When he saw Firepaw nod encouragingly, he regained his confidence.

He stumbled for a bit out first, but as he continued, the tremor disappeared from his voice and his audience leaned in, their eyes growing wider by the second.

"Fur was flying everywhere; blood splattered the leaves of the bramble bushes, bright red against green. I'd just fought of a huge warrior and sent him squealing into the bushes when the ground shook, and I heard a warrior scream. It was Oakheart! Redtail raced past me, his mouth dripping with blood and his fur torn. 'Oakheart is dead!' he howled. Then he rushed off to help Tigerclaw as he fought off another warrior."

"Who would've thought Ravenpaw was such a good story teller?" Graypaw purred, sounding impressed.

But Firepaw's eyes were staring at Ravenpaw, fur bristling. What had Ravenpaw just said? That _Redtail_ had killed Oakheart? But… according to Tigerclaw… Oakheart had killed Redtail, and then Tigerclaw had killed Oakheart in revenge.

"If Redtail killed Oakheart, who killed Redtail?" she thought aloud.

"If who did what?" Graypaw echoed, not paying much attention.

Firepaw shook her head to clear it. _Ravenpaw must just be confused. He must've meant Tigerclaw… right?_

Ravenpaw was coming to the end of his story. "Finally, Redtail dragged the wailing tom off of Tigerclaw by his tail and, with the strength of the whole of TigerClan, flung him into the bushes."

A moving shadow caught Firepaw's eye, distracting her from Ravenpaw's ending. She tilted her head, glancing towards the shadow. Tigerclaw was standing a short distance away, fixing Ravenpaw in an iron stare. Blissfully unaware of his mentor's presence, Ravenpaw continued to answer question after question from his enthusiastic audience.

"What were Oakheart's dying words?"

"Is it true Oakheart had never lost a battle before?"

Ravenpaw's eyes shone as he replied promptly, his voice clear. Firepaw snuck another glance at Tigerclaw, seeing a look of horror and then fury creep over the dark warrior's face. Clearly, Tigerclaw wasn't enjoying Ravenpaw's story as much as the black apprentice's audience was.

Firepaw was about to mutter something to Graypaw, but a loud yowl signaled the beginning of the Gathering. The ginger she-cat couldn't help but feel relieved when Ravenpaw finally became silent.

Three cats sat silhouetted against the moonlit sky on top of the Great Rock. The cats were Bluestar, Brokenstar, and Crookedstar. The three cats were about to start the meeting! But… where was the WindClan leader?

"They can't start the Gathering without Tallstar!" Firepaw hissed to Graypaw.

"I dunno," Graypaw muttered his response.

"Haven't you even _noticed_? There's not even _one _WindClan cat here!" a RiverClan apprentice whispered from the other side of Firepaw.

Firepaw looked around, unease gripping her heart. Other cats were beginning to have similar conversations as they gathered around the rock.

"We can't start yet!" a voice yowled. "Where are the WindClan representatives? We must wait until all of the Clans are here!"

On the top of the rock, Bluestar stepped forward. Her gray fur looked almost white in the moonlight. "Cats of all Clans, welcome," she meowed in a clear voice. Firepaw could tell that her leader wasn't happy about this, either. "It is true that WindClan is not present, but Brokenstar wishes to speak anyway."

Brokenstar padded silently up to stand beside Bluestar. He surveyed the crowd with unblinking orange eyes. He took a deep breath before beginning. "Friends, I have come to speak to you tonight about the needs of ShadowClan-"

However, the tom was interrupted by raised, impatient voices from below.

"Where is Tallstar?"

"Where are the WindClan warriors?"

Brokenstar stretched up to his full height, lashing his tail, as he glared down at the cats below. "As the leader of ShadowClan, it is my right to address you here!" he growled in a voice full of menace. The crowd fell into an uneasy silence. All around her, Firepaw tasted the acrid tang of fear.

Brokenstar started again. "We all know that with the hard time of leaf-bare and the late beginning of newleaf has left us with little prey in our hunting grounds. But we also know that WindClan, RiverClan, and ThunderClan lost many kits in the freezing weather that came so late this season. ShadowClan, however, did not lose kits. Our kits are stronger than yours from birth, and so we find ourselves with many mouths to feed, and too little prey to feed them."

The crowd was silent as they listened anxiously.

"The needs of ShadowClan are quite simple, to be honest. In order to survive, we must increase our hunting territory. That is why I insist that you allow ShadowClan warriors to hunt in your territories."

A shocked but muted growl rippled through the crowd.

"Share our hunting grounds?" came the outraged voice of Tigerclaw.

"That's just unacceptable!" cried a tortoiseshell queen from RiverClan. "The Clans have never shared hunting rights!"

"Should ShadowClan be punished because our kits thrived?" the dark leader of ShadowClan challenged. "Do you _want_ our young to starve? You _must_ share your hunting grounds with us!"

"_Must_!" spat Smallear furiously from the back of the crowd.

"Must," Brokenstar repeated firmly. "WindClan failed to understand this. In the end, we were forced to drive them out of their territory."

Snarls and yowls of outrage burst from the crowd, but Brokenstar's caterwaul rang loud above them; "And, if we must, we _will_ drive you all from your hunting grounds in order to feed our hungry kits."

There was an instant silence. On the other side of the clearing, Firepaw heard a RiverClan apprentice start to mutter something, but was quickly shushed by an elder.

Satisfied that he had earned every cat's attention, Brokenstar continued, "Each year, the twolegs spoil more of our territory. At least one Clan must remain strong, if all of the Clans are to survive. ShadowClan thrives while you struggle. And there may come a time when you need us to protect you."

"Protect us!" Firepaw hissed under her breath. "I'd die before I let him protect us!"

She was quieted quickly when Stonefur shot her a look that told her she better be quiet. She stared right back at him for a moment, as if challenging him, before grumbling and looking away. Graypaw snorted at her from her side before muttering to her that he agreed.

"You doubt our strength?" Tigerclaw spat. His pale amber eyes glared threateningly at the ShadowClan leader, and his powerful shoulders rippled with tension.

"I do not ask for your answer now," Brokenstar continued, ignoring the warrior's challenge. "You must each go away and consider my words. However, bear this in mind; would you prefer to share your prey or be driven out and left homeless and starving?"

Warriors, elders, and apprentices looked at one another in disbelief. In the anxious pause that followed, Crookedstar stepped forward. "I have already agreed to allow ShadowClan some hunting rights in the river that runs through our territory."

Horror and humiliation rippled through the RiverClan cats.

"We were not consulted!" cried a grizzled silver tabby.

"I feel this is best for our Clan- for all the Clans," Crookedstar explained, his voice heavy with resignation. "There are plenty of fish in the river, after all. It is better to share our prey than needlessly spill blood over it."

"And what of ThunderClan?" Smallear croaked. "Bluestar? Have you, too, agreed to this outrageous demand?"

Bluestar unwaveringly met the old cat's gaze. "I have made no agreement with Brokenstar. I shall, however, discuss his proposal with my Clan after the Gathering."

"Well, at least that's something," muttered Graypaw in Firepaw's ear. "We'll show them that we're not as soft as those yellow-bellied RiverClan cats."

Brokenstar spoke up again, his rasping voice sounding arrogant and strong after Crookedstar's surrender. "I also bring news that is important to the safety of your kits. A ShadowClan cat has turned rogue and spurned the warrior code. We chased her out of camp, but we do not know where she is now. She's a mangy old creature, but she has a bite like TigerClan."

Firepaw stared in horror at Brokenstar. Was he possibly talking about Yellowfang? She pricked her ears, hoping he'd continue.

"She is dangerous. I warn you; do not offer her shelter. And," the tom paused dramatically, "until she is caught and killed, I suggest you keep a close eye on your kits."

Firepaw knew from the nervous growl that rumbled in the throats of her clanmates that they, too, had thought of Yellowfang. The bold she-cat had done nothing to endear herself to her reluctant hosts, and Firepaw guessed it wouldn't take much to drum up hatred against her.

The ShadowClan warriors began to push their way out of the throng of cats. Brokenstar leapt from the rock, and his warriors immediately surrounded him and escorted him away from the Fourtrees, back into their own territory. The other ShadowClan cats, including the small tabby from earlier, Firepaw noticed, followed quickly behind them. The small tabby, though, no longer looked small. Among the other ShadowClan apprentices were more small cats, all looking tiny and undernourished, more like kits of three or four moons than apprentices.

"What do you think of that?" Graypaw meowed in a low voice.

Ravenpaw bounded over before Firepaw could respond. "What's going to happen now?" he fretted, his fur fluffed up in alarm and his eyes wider than ever.

Firepaw, however, didn't answer. The elders of ThunderClan were gathering nearby. She strained her ears to hear what they were saying.

"Must be Yellowfang that he was talking about," Smallear growled.

"Well, she did snap at Goldenflower's youngest kit the other day," murmured Speckletail darkly. Being the oldest nursery queen, she was fiercely protective of all the kits.

"And we've left her behind, with the camp virtually unguarded!" One-eye wailed, who for once seemed to be having no trouble hearing.

"I told you she was a danger to us," Darkstripe hissed. "Bluestar has to listen to reason now and get rid of her before she harms any of our young!"

Tigerclaw strode up to the group. "We must return to camp at once and deal with this rogue!" he yowled.

Firepaw didn't stop to hear anymore. Her mind was spinning. Loyal as she was to her Clan, she just couldn't believe that Yellowfang would be a danger to kits. Frightened for the old she-cat, as well as burning with questions that only Yellowfang could answer, she raced away from Graypaw and Ravenpaw without a word.

She charged up the hillside and pelted through the woods. Had she been mistaken about Yellowfang this whole time? If she warned her about the danger she was in, would she be risking her own position in the Clan? Whatever trouble she got herself into, she had to find out the truth before the other cats got back to camp.

_Yellowfang, please be innocent!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Votes for Firepaw's warrior names are currently like this;**

**Fireheart: 2  
Fireflower: 1  
Firesong: 4  
Firefang: 0  
Firestorm: 0**

**Remember to vote if you haven't~**

**~watermellonfuzz**

Firepaw skidded to a halt at the camp's entrance, panting. There was still time to speak to Yellowfang before the cats from the Gathering returned. She bounded into camp, heading straight for the old she-cat's den.

"Yellowfang!" she hissed, prodding the she-cat. "Wake up! Please! It's important!"

Slowly, the former medicine cat opened her eyes. "I wasn't sleeping," she sighed. She sounded calm. "You came straight to me, eh? He must've said something, then… he did promise, after all."

"Brokenstar, you mean?" The ginger apprentice pricked her ears.

"Yes. ShadowClan's noble leader promised to drive me from every Clan. What exactly did he say about me?"

"He told us that our kits were in danger as long as we sheltered a ShadowClan rogue. He didn't mention your name, but… most of ThunderClan guessed it was you. You must leave before they get back! You're in danger!" she meowed urgently.

"They _believed_ Brokenstar?" Yellowfang hissed indignantly, lashing her tail.

"Yes! Darkstripe says you're dangerous. Most cats are scared of what you might do. Tigerclaw is planning to come back and… and… oh, I don't know! Probably something horrible, though! You need to leave!"

The apprentice stiffened when she heard the yowl of the angry ThunderClan cats in the distance. Yellowfang struggled stiffly to her paws. Firepaw nudged her to help her up, but her mind was full of questions. "What did Brokenstar mean when he warned us to keep an eye on our kits?" She just had to know. "I don't believe you would do such a thing!"

Yellowfang's orange stare bore into hers, unblinking. "Thank you, Firepaw," she murmured.

The sounds and yowls of anger were close now.

"Go!" she meowed.

Yellowfang didn't move, though. Her gaze was suddenly calm. "Firepaw, you think I'm innocent, and I'm grateful for that. If you believe me, then others might. I know Bluestar will give me a fair hearing, and I can't run forever. I'm just too old. I'll stay here and face whatever your Clan decides to do to me." She settled down on her bony haunches, sighing.

"But… but Tigerclaw-"

"He's headstrong, not stupid, Firepaw. He may influence other cats, but even he will obey Bluestar."

The undergrowth rustled.

"Get away, Firepaw," the older she-cat hissed, bristling. "It will do you no good to be seen with me now. Have faith in your leader's decision!"

Firepaw hesitated, but as she heard more rustling, she dipped her head and backed off to hide.

Bluestar was the first to arrive, being quickly followed by Lionheart. Frostfur and Willowpelt were right behind them. Immediately, Frostfur broke away from them and ran to the nursery, her bright blue eyes wide with alarm. Tigerclaw and Darkstripe strode in, shoulder to shoulder, looking quite grim. The other cats came in quickly, with Graypaw and Ravenpaw bringing up the rear.

"You warned Yellowfang?" Graypaw murmured to her, his gaze questioning.

"Yeah," she admitted quietly. "She won't leave. She trusts Bluestar to treat her fairly. Did… did anyone notice me not being there?"

"Only us," Ravenpaw assured her.

Around the camp, the cats who had been left behind were waking up. The scent of aggression and the tension in their Clanmates' voices must've awoken them from their slumber.

"What's happened?" Runningwind, a pale brown tabby, called.

"Brokenstar has demanded for us to give them hunting rights on our territory!" yowled Longtail.

"And he warned us about a rogue who will harm our kits! It has to be Yellowfang!" added Willowpelt, who was bristling, eyes wide.

"Silence!" Bluestar yowled, leaping to the top of the Highrock.

All of the cats instinctively settled in front of her.

A screech caused them all to turn their heads. Yellowfang was being dragged roughly from her nest by Tigerclaw and Darkstripe. The gray she-cat shrieked in fury as they hauled her into the clearing and dumped her in front of the Highrock. Firepaw bristled, preparing to spring at the two large toms.

"Firepaw, calm down," Graypaw hissed into her ear. "Bluestar will deal with this."

"What in StarClan's name are you doing?" Bluestar demanded, narrowing her eyes into icy slits. "I gave no order to attack our prisoner!"

Tigerclaw and Darkstripe, though reluctantly, let go of Yellowfang, who snarled at them.

Frostfur appeared from the nursery, looking relieved. "We got back in time! The kits are safe-"

"Of course they are!" Bluestar snapped.

Frostfur stared in surprise at her leader. "But… Bluestar… you _are_ going to kick Yellowfang out, right?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Darkstripe growled. "We should just kill her right now!"

Firepaw bristled, baring her teeth at the dark warrior. _How dare he suggest that!_

Bluestar fixed her angry stare on Darkstripe. "And what has she done?" she meowed, icy calm.

"Bluestar, you _heard_ what Brokenstar said-!"

"He said there was a rogue somewhere in the forest," she answered, her meow menacingly quiet. "He did not, however, mention Yellowfang's name. The kits are safe. As long as Yellowfang is in my Clan, she will not be harmed in any way."

No one spoke as their leader finished, though Firepaw let out a soft sigh of relief.

Yellowfang looked up. "I will leave now, if it is what you want, Bluestar."

"There is no need, Yellowfang. You have done nothing wrong. You are safe here." The blue-gray she-cat lifted her gaze, once again addressing her Clan. "It is time we discussed the _real_ threat to ThunderClan: Brokenstar. We have already begun to prepare for an attack from ShadowClan. We will continue to prepare for an attack, and we will also patrol our borders more frequently. WindClan has been chased out and RiverClan has given hunting rights to ShadowClan. We stand alone against Brokenstar."

"So we're not going to agree to Brokenstar's demands?" Tigerclaw meowed.

"Clans have never shared hunting rights before," Bluestar replied. "We've always managed to support ourselves on our own territories. Why should we change now?" Tigerclaw responded with a nod.

"How can _we_ defend ourselves against ShadowClan? WindClan couldn't do it, and RiverClan didn't even try!" Dappletail fretted.

"We will try," Bluestar answered, meeting the tortoiseshell's amber eyes evenly. "We cannot and will not give up our territory without a fight."

"RiverClan cats are yellow-bellies, anyway," Graypaw mumbled to his companions.

"I shall travel to the Moonstone tomorrow," Bluestar announced. "StarClan will give me the strength I need to lead ThunderClan through these dark times. You all… you get some rest. We have a lot to do when daylight comes. Lionheart, come to my den. I need to speak with you." Without another word, she leaped off of the Highrock and padded into her den, closely followed by her golden-furred deputy.

"What's the Moonstone?" Firepaw meowed to Graypaw, tilting her head.

"It's where leaders and medicine cats visit with StarClan. Leaders get their nine lives there. Once they get their nine lives, they take 'star' into their name."

Firepaw nodded. As she was about to respond, Dustpaw poked his head out from the apprentices' den.

"So what happened?" he meowed eagerly. He seemed to have forgotten his dislike of the three apprentices. Sandpaw padded over and sat by him, clearly curious.

As Graypaw explained, Firepaw noticed Ravenpaw sitting outside of the warriors' den with his ears flattened against his head, flinching away from Tigerclaw. The massive warrior was clearly speaking harshly. Ravenpaw fled from the tom, making his way across the clearing to the apprentices' den, pushing past Firepaw to get inside.

Worry nagged at Firepaw. What had Tigerclaw said? She murmured to Graypaw that she was going to turn in for the night before padding into the den. Ravenpaw was curled in a tight ball in his nest.

"Ravenpaw?" she meowed, crouching by him.

"What?" he muttered in response.

"What was Tigerclaw yelling at you for this time?"

She didn't get a response for several moments. "He… he…" There was a brief pause. "Nothing. Don't worry about it, Firepaw."

The ginger she-cat could tell that her friend was lying to her, but decided not to pry. If he didn't want to talk about it now, she knew he'd probably tell her later. "Alright," she meowed at last. "Goodnight, Ravenpaw."

"You, too, Firepaw," he answered tiredly.

As Firepaw climbed into her nest, Graypaw bounced in excitedly.

"What is it?" she yawned.

"Lionheart says that we're going to accompany Bluestar to the Moonstone tomorrow!" he meowed, his yellow eyes shining. "Ravenpaw's going to come, too! Oh, and in the morning, we need to go see Spottedleaf. She's going to give us travelling herbs."

"Okay," she meowed, too tired to be excited.

Graypaw seemed to notice. "Go to sleep, Firepaw. We're going to need a lot of energy for tomorrow."

So she did.

**LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE**

"Those were absolutely _disgusting_!"

"They were just bitter, that's all," Tigerclaw growled to Graypaw, who was glaring at the leaf that his travelling herbs had been wrapped in.

Firepaw narrowed her eyes at the dark warrior as she finished the last of her travelling herbs. What had he been badgering Ravenpaw about last night? He was practically terrorizing his own apprentice! The she-cat cast a glance at the black tom, who was sitting next to her with his skinny tail wrapped around his paws. _Poor Ravenpaw._

"I knew they'd be bitter, but why can't we just eat a mouse or something?" Graypaw complained.

"The herbs will keep your hunger at bay longer," Bluestar answered, flicking her tail.

Firepaw turned to face her leader, wondering when the she-cat got there. "Have you eaten yours already?" She hadn't seen Bluestar's herbs, so she must've eaten them already…

"I can't eat," Bluestar replied, "if I am to share tongues with StarClan tonight."

The ginger she-cat stared in awe at her leader. How had she gotten so lucky to have the leader as her mentor? She was so wise. Firepaw found herself wondering what sort of things StarClan shared with leaders and medicine cats. _I'll find out one day_, she vowed. _I'll become ThunderClan's leader. I'll be one that everyone will be proud of._

"Let's go," Bluestar meowed, padding out of the entrance to camp, being closely followed by Tigerclaw, Ravenpaw, Graypaw, and Firepaw.

Lionheart, who had been returning to camp with his hunting patrol, stopped in front of them. "Have a safe journey," he meowed.

"We will," Bluestar answered. "I know I can trust you to keep the camp safe."

"Of course." The tom turned to look at Graypaw. "Remember, Graypaw. You're almost a warrior. Don't forget what I've taught you."

"I'll always remember, Lionheart," Graypaw purred, headbutting his mentor's shoulder affectionately.

Firepaw had never been so far from ThunderClan territory before.

The HighStones, true to their name, were truly… well, high. _No, that's not quite right… they're _massive, Firepaw mused.

The five cats were sitting on a sun-warmed rock, resting before they went to Mothermouth.

Bluestar was the first to speak after a while. "We will wait here until the moon is higher. Go- hunt if you are hungry, and then rest."

The three apprentices were relieved to be able to hunt. Prey was plentiful in this area, thankfully, so the three gathered plenty of fresh-kill. They shared what they'd caught with Tigerclaw before resting beside their leader as they waited.

"Come," Bluestar murmured as the moon shone high above them. "It is time."

They made their way towards Mothermouth, stopping at the entrance. Bluestar turned back to look at them. "Graypaw, Ravenpaw, and Tigerclaw: you stay here and guard the entrance. Firepaw, you will accompany me to the Moonstone."

_Me?_ "Y-yes, Bluestar!" she stammered, padding after her leader and into the darkness. Fear gripped her heart like claws. She couldn't see anything down here! She fought the urge to flee, focusing on Bluestar's scent as she descended into the darkness.

Slowly, a light came into focus. Firepaw narrowed her eyes. _The Moonstone?_ It was the Moonstone, she realized, as she grew closer to it.

She watched as Bluestar settled down in front of the stone, pressing her nose against it.

_Is she sleeping?_ She found herself wondering after a while. _Wait, of course she is! She's dreaming of StarClan after a-_

"Firepaw? Are you still here?" Bluestar's agitated voice drew her out of her thoughts.

"Yes, Bluestar."

"Hurry! We need to return to camp," she hissed before bolting out of Mothermouth, leaving Firepaw scrambling after her.

**LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE**

Tigerclaw was waiting outside with Graypaw and Ravenpaw sitting near him. The tabby's expression was cold and his fur was ruffled. Firepaw shot a questioning look at Ravenpaw, but the tom looked away from her gaze.

"Tigerclaw," Bluestar greeted.

Tigerclaw relaxed slightly. "What did you learn?"

"We need to return to camp immediately."

Firepaw glanced over at her leader, noticing the desperation in her eyes. What had StarClan said to her? The ginger cat's eyes widened, suddenly realizing what could be happening.

_ShadowClan._

**LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE**

Firepaw's muscles were aching by the time they reached the barn they'd passed earlier.

"Bluestar! Look!" Ravenpaw called, bristling. A black and white tom was coming towards them.

Bluestar flicked her tail to acknowledge Ravenpaw. "It's a cat I know, don't worry. His name's Barley."

"Hi!" the tom greeted. He was a little stout, and shorter than most warriors, though he had the muscles of one. "I haven't seen any cat from your Clan for moons. How've you been, Bluestar?"

"I'm well, thank you. And you, Barley? How's prey running?"

"Not so bad," Barley replied. "One good thing about Twolegs- you'll always find plenty of rats nearby." He paused. "You seem to be in more of a hurry than usual. Is something wrong?"

Tigerclaw growled at the tom. Firepaw could tell he was suspicious of the loner's curiosity.

"I don't like staying away from my Clan for too long," she answered smoothly.

"Of course, of course… I just wanted to warn you all that two dogs have been released. It'd be safer to go back through the cornfield than past the yard."

"Thank you," Bluestar murmured. "We appreciate it."

He dipped his head and bounded away.

"Come," Bluestar commanded, heading down the track and pushing her way into the cornfield. The three apprentices followed, though Tigerclaw hesitated.

"You trust that loner?" he meowed.

"Would you rather face the dogs?" she shot back briskly.

"They were tied up earlier," Tigerclaw pointed out.

"They may be untied now. We're going this way," she growled.

Tigerclaw gave up and followed.

As they continued, something smelled… off to Firepaw. It was a prey-scent, but there was something familiar about the bitter odor. She couldn't figure out what it was, but it made her skin prickle. "Bluestar, something's off about this-"

She didn't get to finish because an earsplitting squeal filled the air. Firepaw whipped around to see Ravenpaw struggling and clawing at the earth. Something had a hold of his leg and was trying to drag him down into the ditch.

"Rats!" Tigerclaw snarled. "Barley has sent us to a trap!"

Before anything else could be said or done, rats swarmed out of the ditch and launched themselves at the five cats. One leapt onto Firepaw's shoulder and sank its teeth into it, sending sharp pain through her. She hissed as another bit down on her leg. She tried to shake them off, knowing they were not as strong as she was. _There's too many!_ She thought, panicking.

Suddenly, the rats were being dragged off of her. She looked up in confusion to see Barley flinging rodents back into the ditch. Then, without hesitating, he went to Bluestar, who was covered in rats, and began to pick them off with practiced ease.

Firepaw didn't hesitate any longer. She went to Graypaw and pick off one of the two rats that were attacking him, biting down on its spine and flinging it into the ditch.

"They're running away!" Tigerclaw yowled.

As the rats left, Firepaw looked for Ravenpaw. Graypaw was standing at the edge of the ditch, meowing encouragement to the black tom as he pulled himself up from the ditch, his pelt all muddy. As soon as Ravenpaw was safe, she bounded over to Bluestar, sniffing at her wounds. The fur on the back of her neck was drenched in blood…

Tigerclaw let out a furious yowl and pinned Barley to the ground. "You sent us to a trap!" he snarled.

"I didn't know the rats were here!" the tom spat in reply.

"Why did you send us this way?"

"The dogs! The twolegs untie them at night! They guard their nest!"

"Tigerclaw, Bluestar's injured!" Firepaw interrupted.

The massive tabby released Barley at once. Tigerclaw bounded over and began sniffing the she-cat's wounds before pulling away. "She's in the paws of StarClan now," he murmured.

Firepaw bristled. Did that mean Bluestar was dead? Then she saw her leader stir. She lifted her head.

"Bluestar?" the ginger apprentice whispered, trembling.

"It's alright," she rasped. "I'm still here. I lost a life, though it wasn't my ninth."

"Ravenpaw, get cobwebs for her wounds," Tigerclaw commanded. "Graypaw, find marigold or horsetail." He turned to glare at Barley. "I think you should leave."

The tom dipped his head reluctantly before leaving.

When the two apprentices returned, Firepaw turned to Tigerclaw. "I can put them on her wounds," she offered. "Yellowfang showed me how."

"Very well," Tigerclaw agreed. He returned to the ditch, scanning it for any signs of rats.

Bluestar was quiet as Firepaw put the herbs onto her pelt.

"We shall rest while Bluestar recovers," Tigerclaw announced.

"No," Bluestar insisted. "We must return to camp. Let's keep going."

The blue-gray she-cat limped along the edge of the field, determined to reach camp. Tigerclaw walked at her side, while the three apprentices brought up the rear.

"It's been a long time since I saw you lose a life," Firepaw heard Tigerclaw murmur. "How many have you lost now?"

Firepaw was surprised at Tigerclaw's open curiosity.

"That was my fifth," Bluestar answered quietly.

Tigerclaw didn't reply.

**Almost did more, but I decided not to. It would take me too long to do, haha, since I don't know how much longer I'm allowed to stay on 8|;;; And I kind of wanna get this done.**

**Don't forget to review~**


	7. Chapter 7

**Votes for Firepaw's warrior names are currently like this;**

**Fireheart: 2  
Fireflower: 1  
Firesong: 5  
Firefang: 0  
Firestorm: 1**

**Remember to vote if you haven't~**

**~watermellonfuzz**

Firepaw felt as though she was scratched and bitten all over. Her wounds burned where the rats had attacked her, but she was determined to get back to camp. Bluestar seemed desperate to get back, and if Firepaw was right about ShadowClan… her Clanmates would need her.

However, Bluestar worried her. The older she-cat's face was contorted with pain, yet she kept on. The ThunderClan leader wouldn't let anything stop her from getting back to her Clan, and however much Firepaw admired that, she couldn't help but wonder if Bluestar's wounds would reopen.

They were closing in on camp when Ravenpaw halted suddenly. "Can you hear that?" he whispered.

Firepaw pricked her ears. She only heard the familiar sounds of the forest out first, but as she strained her hearing, she heard battle-hungry yowls and the shrill wails of terrified kits.

"Quick!" Bluestar hissed. "It is as StarClan warned me- our camp is being attacked!" She tried to leap forward, but her injuries made her stumble. She quickly pushed herself up and limped onward.

Firepaw found herself running by Tigerclaw's side in her desperation to get to camp. Graypaw and Ravenpaw followed close behind them. As they grew closer and closer to camp, she could smell the blood and the horrible stench of ShadowClan cats.

As they entered camp, every corner seemed to be occupied by fighting cats. Frostfur and Goldenflower were attacking a large gray tom, and Mossheart and Mistyfoot were driving away a tortoiseshell and a brown tabby. Darkstripe was locked in a fierce tussle with a black warrior, and three of the elders were nipping at a she-cat who fought with twice their speed and ferocity.

Among all of the turmoil, Firepaw found herself seeking out a certain gray tom, whom she just couldn't seem to find. She did, however, see Sandpaw cornered by a white tom and a gray tabby tom. Baring her teeth, she leapt at the gray tabby. The tom yowled in surprise before swiping at her face. The ginger apprentice hissed as her opponent's claws scored her cheek, but she launched herself once more at the tom, landing on his back. She raked her hind paws down his back while clinging on with her front paws.

"Let me go!" the tom wailed, trying to shake her off.

She almost didn't, but she remembered what Lionheart had taught her: _A good warrior doesn't need to kill to win her battles._ She jumped off of him and snarled. The tom didn't need another chance- he fled immediately. She turned back to Sandpaw to see that she had her situation handled. She whipped around as a shrill squeal filled the air.

_The nursery!_

A massive white tom with black paws, who Firepaw was sure went by the name Blackfoot, was reaching into the nursery to grab the kits from their nests. An elder was lying on the ground near him, unmoving. Blood pooled around the dead cat's body.

As she was about to leap for the ShadowClan deputy, claws sliced painfully down her side. She hissed and turned to face the cat who attacked her. A scrawny tortoiseshell leapt onto her back, clawing at her sides. She had to help those kits! Or if anything, she needed to get someone to realize what was happening.

Spotting a familiar gray pelt, she cried, "Stonefu-"

She didn't get to finish her sentence because the tortoiseshell raked her claws down her sides once more, making her shriek in pain. She glanced towards the nest again. Blackfoot had taken two kits, and was reaching for a third. With a pang, she recognized the kit as one of Frostfur's two younger kits, Brightkit.

Thinking quickly, she went limp, as if defeated. The ShadowClan warrior on her back yowled in triumph and began to sink her teeth around her neck. Firepaw pushed up hard, sending the she-cat flying off of her. Spinning around, she quickly bit down on the she-cat's leg. The she-cat wrenched her leg away and bolted out of camp, howling.

Firepaw ran to the nursery, searching for Blackfoot. The tom was nowhere to be seen. Yellowfang, however, was there. She gray she-cat was crouched protectively over Frostfur's kits, who were terrified. Yellowfang's fur was splattered with blood, and her left eye was swollen.

"Go," she growled. "I'll protect them."

Firepaw dipped her head and staggered back into the clearing, only to find very few ShadowClan warriors left. Ravenpaw and Graypaw were fighting off a black tom, clawing at him until he fled into the bushes. Willowpelt and Runningwind chased the last two invaders out of camp.

Firepaw collapsed where she was standing, exhausted. She stared around the clearing, hardly recognizing it. Blood stained the earth, and tufts of fur drifted in the gentle breeze. The surrounding wall of undergrowth had been ripped open where the intruders had crashed through.

Slowly, the ThunderClan cats gathered around the Highrock. Sandpaw crept over and crouched next to her, a silent thank you for helping her earlier. Ravenpaw and Graypaw were sitting by Dustpaw, who didn't seem to have more than a few scratches. Ravenpaw and Graypaw, like Tigerclaw and Firepaw, who'd gone to the Moonstone with Bluestar, had more wounds than the rest of the cats. Firepaw saw the queens rush to the nursery to check on their kits.

_Did Blackfoot succeed in taking any of the kits?_ She waited tensely for the queens' return. Upon hearing the squeals and purrs of joy, she relaxed. _Thank StarClan they're all safe…_

Frostfur wove her way back through the crowd, followed by Yellowfang. The white queen stopped at the base of the Highrock to address them. "Our kits are safe!" she announced. "And it's all thanks to Yellowfang! A ShadowClan warrior killed Rosetail, however, when she was trying to protect the kits, but Yellowfang fought him off."

"It wasn't just any ShadowClan warrior, either," Firepaw, though exhausted, raised her voice. "I saw him. It was Blackfoot." She had to let the Clan know how much they owed the former ShadowClan medicine cat.

"The ShadowClan deputy!" Brindleface meowed, who'd fought so bitterly to protect the unborn kits in her swollen belly.

There was a stir at the edge of the group. Bluestar limped forward and murmured something to Graypaw, who in turn let out a high-pitched wail and ran to Spottedleaf at the side of the Highrock. Firepaw struggled to sit up, pricking her ears.

Bluestar made her way over to Firepaw. "Spottedleaf is with Lionheart," she murmured. "He was injured during the battle. I'm not sure if he'll pull through."

Firepaw's heart sank. The brave golden tabby who'd helped mentor her… may not pull through? As she watched Graypaw share tongues with his mentor, she knew he wouldn't live. The look Spottedleaf's had on her face was enough to tell her that.

Spottedleaf raised her voice. "I can't help him now. He is on his way to join StarClan."

Firepaw limped over to the body of the deputy and licked the tom between his ears. "Thank you for your wisdom, Lionheart," she whispered. "You taught me so much."

She settled down at Graypaw's side, grooming him. He could use all of the comfort he could get…

The ginger apprentice sat with Ravenpaw, Graypaw, Mossheart (who had been Lionheart's mate), and Lionheart and Mossheart's kits, Stormkit and Sunkit, until the moon was high above their heads. Tigerclaw had stopped briefly next to the tom's body. Firepaw had waited curiously for what he would say, but he didn't say anything. The tom's eyes seemed to be on Ravenpaw.

Spottedleaf padded around camp, tending to everyone's wounds and battered nerves. Firepaw watched her approach Bluestar twice, only to be turned away both times. When Spottedleaf approached Firepaw, she shook her head.

"I'll be fine," she mumbled. "I need to stay with Graypaw."

Stonefur, who'd stopped by Lionheart's body to share tongues with him, nudged her. "Don't be ridiculous, Firepaw," he meowed, narrowing his eyes in concern. "You've got scratches and bites all over you, and you look like you're about to fall over."

Firepaw hesitated, but ended up sighing and nodding her consent. When Spottedleaf finished applying herbs to her pelt, she had to admit that they did feel better. She watched in silence as Graypaw didn't even acknowledge Spottedleaf as his wounds were treated to. Ravenpaw at least murmured a thank you when she finished.

All of the cats turned their heads to look at the top of the Highrock as Bluestar called a meeting.

"It is nearly moonhigh," she meowed. "And it is once again my duty to name ThunderClan's new deputy." Her voice was tired and cracked with sadness.

Firepaw looked around at each of the warriors. All of them were looking at Tigerclaw. Even Whitestorm had turned to watch the dark tabby. From the bold expression on his face and the way his whiskers twitched in anticipation, Tigerclaw seemed to expect the same as they did.

Bluestar took a deep breath. "I say these words before the body of Lionheart, so that his spirit may hear and approve of my choice." She hesitated. "I have not forgotten how one cat avenged the death of Redtail and brought his body back to us. ThunderClan needs this fearless loyalty now more than ever." Another pause. "Tigerclaw will be the new deputy of ThunderClan."

There were yowls of approval at this. The loudest belonged to Darkstripe and Longtail. Whitestorm sat calmly, his eyes closed and his tail wrapped neatly around him. He was nodding slowly and approvingly.

Tigerclaw lifted his chin proudly, his eyes half-closed as he listened to the Clan. He then stalked through the crowd, accepting tributes with the smallest of nods, and then leapt onto the Highrock next to Bluestar.

"Cats of ThunderClan," he yowled, "I am honored to accept the position of Clan deputy. I never expected to be given such a high rank in the Clan, but by the spirit of Lionheart, I vow to serve you the best as I can." He dipped his head and fixed the crowd in his yellow stare before jumping down from the Highrock.

"Oh StarClan, why did she have to pick him?" Ravenpaw breathed from Firepaw's side.

Firepaw frowned and turned her head to look at the tom. "What?"

"He's wanted to be deputy ever since he took care of Redtail!" he hissed. However, a moment later, he realized what he said and kept his mouth shut.

"What do you mean?" Firepaw whispered. What did Ravenpaw know? At the Gathering, had his account of the battle with RiverClan been true? Was _Tigerclaw_ responsible for Redtail's death?

"Are you telling Firepaw how I protected Redtail?"

Ravenpaw whipped around, his eyes wide with fear. Tigerclaw loomed over them, his lips drawn back into a menacing snarl.

Firepaw staggered to her feet, lifting her chin. "He was just saying how he wished you'd been there to take care of Lionheart as well!"

Tigerclaw looked at the two of them through narrowed eyes before stalking away. Ravenpaw's eyes clouded in terror and he began to tremble violently.

"Ravenpaw?" Firepaw meowed in alarm.

The black tom didn't respond. He crept back into the apprentices' den without another word.

That's when Firepaw decided she may as well go to sleep, too. She limped to the apprentices' den and curled up in her nest, hoping for a dreamless sleep.

**LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE**

****

"Wake up!"

Firepaw opened her eyes sleepily, lifting her head and looking around. Ravenpaw was sitting upright with his ears pricked, and Graypaw was stirring in the nest beside hers. Dustpaw was glaring at them.

"Come on!" he hissed. "Bluestar's called another meeting!" The tabby turned and ducked out of the den.

Firepaw got up and arched her back. Her wounds didn't hurt as much, which was good. She smoothed her fur down quickly before padding out of the den and settling down by Sandpaw, who mewed a quiet greeting.

When she looked up, she found that Bluestar wasn't the one speaking. Tigerclaw was.

"During the battle, our leader lost another life," the dark warrior growled. "Now that she only has four of her nine lives left, I am going to appoint a bodyguard to stay at her side constantly."

Firepaw stared at the tom incredulously. _I don't think warriors, even if they're deputies, are supposed to tell cats how many lives their leader has left! And Bluestar doesn't need a bodyguard…_ She shook her head to clear her thoughts before tuning in again.

"…No cat will be allowed to approach her unless the guards are present-"

_Great StarClan, does he have no trust for his own Clanmates?_ That's when she saw his eyes flicker to Ravenpaw.

"Darkstripe and Longtail," he continued, pulling his gaze away from his black-pelted apprentice. "You will take turns being Bluestar's bodyguards."

Bluestar looked rather annoyed when she spoke up, though her voice didn't indicate it. "Thank you, Tigerclaw, for your loyalty. However, the Clan must understand that I am still here for them. No cat should hesitate to approach me, and I am happy to speak to any cat… with or without my bodyguards." She shot a glance at her deputy before continuing. "As the warrior code says, the safety of the Clan is more important than the safety of a single member." She paused again, resting her blue gaze on Firepaw. "And now, I wish to invite Yellowfang to join ThunderClan."

Meows of surprised from some of the warriors greeted her words. Bluestar looked at her daughters and Frostfur, who all nodded their agreement. The other queens looked on silently.

"Her actions last night proved that she is brave and loyal. If she wishes it, we would welcome her as a full member of ThunderClan."

From her place at the edge of the crowd, Yellowfang rose to her paws. "I am honored, Bluestar," she murmured. "I accept your offer."

"Good," Bluestar meowed. Her voice was firm, which clearly indicated that discussion of the matter was now closed.

Firepaw purred in delight. "I'm glad more cats trust her now."

Sandpaw looked over at her. "She _did_ protect Frostfur's kits," the pale ginger cat mewed thoughtfully. "I'm surprised more cats don't trust her. She's given us no reason to not trust her."

Bluestar spoke once more. "Last night, we successfully defender ourselves against ShadowClan. However, they are still a great threat. The repair work we began this morning will continue, and our boundaries will be patrolled constantly. We must not assume this war is over."

Tigerclaw stood, his tail held high, as he glared down at the assembled cats. "ShadowClan attacked while we were away from camp," he growled. "They chose their moment well. How did they know our camp was so poorly defender? Do they have eyes inside of our camp?"

Firepaw stiffened when, once again, she saw the deputy's eyes fixed on Ravenpaw. Some of the cats followed his gaze to Ravenpaw in confusion. The ginger apprentice could see the question on all of their faces. _Why would Ravenpaw, of all cats, have anything to do with this?_

"We still have a while before sunset," Tigerclaw continued. "If you suspect anything, or anyone, tell me. Be assured, everything said will stay in confidence." He nodded to dismiss the Clan, which annoyed Firepaw.

_He's not the leader. He's only the deputy! He shouldn't be the one dismissing the meetings._

She murmured to Sandpaw that she was going to go talk to Yellowfang, and her friend nodded. She padded over to Yellowfang's nest to find her stretched out in the shadows.

"Firepaw," the old she-cat purred. "I'm glad you've come."

"I just wanted to see if you were alright," Firepaw meowed.

"Old habits stay longer than old scents, eh?"

"I suppose so," Firepaw agreed. "How are you feeling?"

"The old leg injury is playing up again, but I should be fine. Now, what is it that you really came for?" A knowing look came over the she-cat's face.

"I wanted to know how you fought Blackfoot off," she confessed.

Yellowfang nodded. "That's understandable. Blackfoot's strong, but he's not a clever fighter. To be honest, that fight with you was more of a challenge. I've known that tom since he was a kit. He hasn't changed at all- he's a bully and has no brains."

Firepaw sat down by her, curling her fluffy ginger tail around her paws. "I'm not surprised Bluestar invited you to join the Clan. You showed your loyalty last night."

Yellowfang's tail twitched. "Perhaps a truly loyal cat would have fought at the side of the Clan that raised her."

Firepaw narrowed her eyes. "If this was true, I'd be fighting for my Twolegs."

A purr of amusement escaped the old she-cat. "Well said, youngster. You always have been a thinker."

"Do you miss ShadowClan?" Firepaw wasn't sure why she asked.

It took her a moment to respond. "I miss the old ShadowClan," Yellowfang admitted.

"Before Brokenstar became leader?"

"Yes," she murmured softly. "He changed the Clan." She allowed a wheezy laugh to escape her. "He always knew how to give a good speech. If he set his mind to it, he'd make you believe a mouse was a rabbit. Perhaps… perhaps that's why I was always so blind to his faults." Sorrow clouded her orange gaze.

In the attempt to cheer her up, she meowed, "Can you guess who the new ShadowClan medicine cat is?"

"Not Runningnose?"

"Nope! It's him!"

Yellowfang groaned and shook her head. "That tom can't even cure his own cold!"

Firepaw purred. "I'll leave you alone for now. I'll check back later."

**LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE**

****

Firepaw paused from patching up the hole in the camp entrance to look at Graypaw. His eyes were dull and his muscles seemed stiff with pain.

"Graypaw, do you want me to get some poppy seeds from Spottedleaf?" she meowed softly.

"No, don't worry," the dark gray tom muttered. "I'll be fine."

_As if I'd listen to that kind of response,_ she thought.

"I'll be right back," she meowed over her shoulder as she padded off to Spottedleaf's den before her friend could argue. When she ducked into the den, the tortoiseshell was pacing, her eyes clouded with unhappiness.

"Are you okay?"

"The spirits of StarClan are restless," she replied, flicking her tail uneasily. "I think they're trying to tell me something…" The young medicine cat shook her head and turned to Firepaw. "What can I do for you?"

"I think Graypaw could use some poppy seeds for his leg," she explained. "I think his rat bites are still hurting, too."

"The pain of losing Lionheart will make his injures feel worse than they are," Spottedleaf sighed. "He'll mend with time, though, don't worry. Anyway, you're right- poppy seeds will help." She rummaged through her store and pulled out a dried poppy head. She then placed it in front of Firepaw. "Just shake one or two out and give them to him."

"Thanks," she purred. She paused before walking out. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes," she answered, avoiding her gaze.

A little confused, Firepaw turned and started out of the den.

"Wait!"

_I guess she changed her mind._

"Firepaw," the she-cat hissed. "StarClan spoke to me moons ago, before you joined us. I sense that they want me to tell you this now. The prophecy I received was _fire will save the Clan._ Bluestar and I believe that you are the fire."

Firepaw's eyes widened. "M-me?" she squeaked.

Spottedleaf nodded before turning back to the herbs, which told Firepaw that she should leave.

**LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE**

****

Firepaw trained with Bluestar all of the following day. The she-cat was an amazing mentor, though Firepaw had expected no less from her leader.

When she returned, Ravenpaw had been getting an angry lecture from Tigerclaw. The poor tom had been cowering under his mentor's frightening stare.

Now, Firepaw was sitting in front of the black tom with her tail wrapped neatly around her paws. "Ravenpaw… when Tigerclaw was made deputy, you said that he took care of Redtail. I need to know what you meant by that."

Ravenpaw stiffened. "Firepaw, I can't-"

"You can."

He didn't respond for several heartbeats. Her friend took a deep breath before whispering, "Oakheart… you remember who he was, right? RiverClan's old deputy? Well… he didn't kill Redtail. Redtail had driven Oakheart underneath a part of the Sunningrocks where the rocks weren't stable. Redtail and Oakheart didn't know that, though. Redtail managed to get away in time, but… Oakheart was crushed."

Firepaw waited for him to continue. When he didn't, she nudged him gently. "Go on," she murmured.

"Redtail had told me to go back to camp, but… I couldn't. I wanted to help. When Tigerclaw ordered our cats to retreat a little while later because Redtail had been weakened, Tigerclaw remained with Redtail. He… he said that he was the rightful deputy. And he…. He… Tigerclaw lunged at Redtail and sank his teeth into Redtail's neck like he was killing a piece of prey."

Firepaw licked her friend between the ears. "Why didn't you tell Bluestar?"

Ravenpaw pulled away and stared at her incredulously. "Firepaw, she wouldn't have believed me! I don't even think you believe me!"

The ginger she-cat narrowed her eyes. "Whereas it's true that Bluestar probably wouldn't have believed you… I believe you Ravenpaw. I've seen how Tigerclaw glares at you. Does he know that you saw?"

Slowly, Ravenpaw nodded. "I… I think so."

"You'll have to be careful, then."

"I know," Ravenpaw muttered.

Firepaw had no idea how to make him feel better now. She didn't know how to change the subject, either. _Wait…_

"Let's go and see Brindleface's kits," she mewed, nudging her friend in the direction of the nursery. _Ravenpaw has always been good with kits, anyway. This should make him feel better._

Whitestorm was guarding the entrance. "Only one in at a time," he meowed.

"Do you want to go first?" Firepaw offered.

"No, you can go," her friend answered.

She nodded and padded in. Four tiny kits were huddled closely together against Brindleface's belly. Their fur was pale gray with darker flecks except for one dark gray tom.

_Will I have kits one day?_ she wondered. Somehow, she just couldn't picture it. _No, probably not. What tom would like me, anyway?_

"How are you feeling?" she murmured.

"A little tired," the queen answered, looking proudly at her kits. "But all of them are strong and healthy."

Firepaw purred. "That's good. I'll leave now. I'm going to send Ravenpaw in." She padded out and nodded to Ravenpaw, who in turn ducked into the nursery.

_A mate… it would be nice to be loved in that way. And kits…_ Her thoughts trailed off. She liked kits well enough, but she still couldn't see herself with ones of her own.

**LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE**

****

"My kits! My kits are gone!"

Firepaw whipped her head around to stare in horror at Frostfur. The white she-cat's fur was bushed up and her eyes were full of terror.

_How?_

Tigerclaw was the first to act. "Quick, search the camp! Whitestorm, stay where you are. Warriors, patrol the camp boundary! Apprentices, search every den!"

Firepaw bolted into the nearest den, which happened to be the warriors' den. No cat was visible. She quickly walked by each nest, but no kits were in here.

Graypaw and Ravenpaw were in the apprentices' den while Dustpaw and Sandpaw searched the elders' den. Firepaw looked around the perimeter again, but still found none of them.

Tigerclaw's yowl sounded from behind the nursery. All the cats raced over, lead by Frostfur. Firepaw nosed her way to the front to see Tigerclaw standing over a motionless bundle of tortoiseshell fur.

_Spottedleaf._

Bluestar weaved through the cats and leaned over the medicine cat. "She was killed by a warrior's blow," she meowed softly.

Sure enough, a single wound was on the back of the dead medicine cat's neck.

_Why? Why would any cat want to kill Spottedleaf?_

Through all of the confusion, Firepaw heard a cat- Mousefur, maybe – yowl, "Yellowfang is gone!"

Frostfur's eyes were ablaze with rage. "Yellowfang has killed Spottedleaf and taken my kits!"

_No! No, no, no! Yellowfang would never… she wouldn't! Impossible…_

Tigerclaw let out a snarl. "Yellowfang! I always knew she was a traitor. Now we know how she fought off the ShadowClan deputy- it was a setup!"

_No…_

"Bluestar!" Stonefur spoke up. "What do you say about this?"

Bluestar blinked slowly. Grief clouded her features, and for a moment Firepaw thought that the new death might overwhelm her. When she opened her eyes, though, they glittered with a fierceness that showed her determination to seek revenge for the cruel attack. "If Yellowfang has killed Spottedleaf and taken Frostfur's kits, she will be hunted down without mercy." She paused briefly. "There is a storm coming, and I am not prepared to risk more lives. If ShadowClan has our kits, they will come to no immediate harm. I suspect Brokenstar wants them as recruits for his own Clan, or as hostages so that we will allow them to hunt on our territory. As soon as the storm has passed, a patrol will be sent after Yellowfang to bring back our kits."

There was more talk, Firepaw knew, but her head was spinning. She couldn't pay attention. _Yellowfang didn't do this. She wouldn't._ She wasn't aware of Bluestar coming up to her until she started talking.

"Firepaw," she hissed urgently. "Where is Yellowfang? I need to know."

Firepaw raised her chin. "I don't know. I can tell you that she didn't do this, though. I know it in my heart."

"Sometimes that isn't enough," the leader sighed. "I need to know the truth, though. I need you to go and bring her back."

The ginger apprentice couldn't help but stare. "You're not sending Tigerclaw?"

"Tigerclaw is a great warrior," Bluestar murmured. "In this case, however, his loyalty to the Clan may cloud his judgment."

_Is he loyal to you, to ThunderClan, Bluestar? Truly?_

"He will kill Yellowfang on sight, I know. Yellowfang will come back if you ask her."

"You put a lot of faith in me," Firepaw whispered.

"You are my apprentice, Firepaw. You don't jump to conclusions, nor do you act before you consider your options. I know you can do this. I need you to leave at once."

Firepaw closed her eyes. _Can I really do this?_ When she opened them, she saw Bluestar staring at her intently.

"I will bring her back, Bluestar. When I return, the Clan will know that she is not a traitor."


	8. Chapter 8

**Votes for Firepaw's warrior names are currently like this;**

**Fireheart: 2  
Fireflower: 1  
Firesong: 6  
Firefang: 0  
Firestorm: 1**

**I'm too lazy to do anything else, so I'm ending the Into the Wild book in this chapter. This story won't be over until I finish The Darkest Hour, though, so look forward to a bajillion more chapters. I'm not sure how many. But since it's taken me about eight chapters to do the first book… I'd say there should be at least 40 more chapters. Probably going to be a lot more. I plan to continue on with it, though, for the New Prophecy. It'll involve the kits Firepaw's going to have. …oops, did I say that? Oh well. More spoilers for you.**

**~watermellonfuzz**

Firepaw wasn't sure how she did it, but she convinced the other four apprentices to help her bring Yellowfang and the kits back.

Graypaw and Ravenpaw were quick to agree to come. Firepaw figured it was because she was their best friend more than because they liked Yellowfang. Sandpaw and Dustpaw took a little convincing, on the other paw.

"_Sandpaw, Dustpaw, I really need you to come and help me get the kits and Yellowfang and bring them back to camp!"_

_Dustpaw narrowed his eyes and snapped, "Yellowfang's a traitor, Firepaw-"_

"_You'll find that she isn't a traitor if you come with me!" Firepaw spat, bristling._

"_But if she is, what's going to happen to her?" Sandpaw meowed._

"_If she's a traitor, Bluestar will deal with her. If she's a traitor… you can claw her, alright? But please, I really need your help! Graypaw and Ravenpaw are coming with me, but you two have more battle training!"_

_The two older apprentices exchanged a glance._

"_Fine," Dustpaw muttered. "We'll go. This better make Bluestar make us warriors, Firepaw!"_

She didn't know about that, but she'd gladly accept becoming a warrior if they succeeded in this mission.

They were currently at the ShadowClan border. It was raining heavily by now, but Firepaw took no notice.

_I won't stop until I get Yellowfang and the kits back._

"Ravenpaw," she mewed, raising her voice so that he could hear her over the pouring rain and thunder. "You've been into ShadowClan territory when Tigerclaw sent you on a hunting mission. How far did you go in?"

_I won't stop until I prove Yellowfang's innocence._

Ravenpaw hesitated under the gazes of the rest of the group. "I went several fox-lengths in," he admitted. "I didn't get close enough to see their camp, though. From the stench, though, I'd been fairly close."

"I need you to lead us as close as you can take us."

_I won't stop until Spottedleaf is avenged._

Ravenpaw hesitated again.

"Ravenpaw," Dustpaw growled, nudging the black tom. "Tigerclaw might stop bothering you if you prove yourself by fighting off some more ShadowClan cats. Bluestar might even make you a _warrior_. A _warrior_, Ravenpaw!"

The black tom closed his eyes for a few heartbeats before opening them. His eyes blazed with a determination Firepaw hadn't known he had.

"Alright," he mewed. "This way!"

_I won't stop until Brokenstar is defeated._

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"This is as far as I went," Ravenpaw meowed, stopping at the beginning of a clearing. "This is their main hunting area."

The rain had slowed to a drizzle, but the ground was soaked.

"It's impossible to track anything with the ground this wet," Sandpaw spat.

"Don't say that," Firepaw meowed. "You're one of ThunderClan's best trackers, even if you're only an apprentice. Even if we can't track anyone like this, _you_ can."

The older she-cat narrowed her eyes at the ginger apprentice. "I can try," she said slowly. "But I can't guarantee that I'll find their camp."

"You can do it, Sandpaw!" Graypaw encouraged. "Like Firepaw said, you're definitely one of our Clan's best trackers. I know you can do it!"

Sandpaw stared at him for a moment before nodding, padding around the clearing to check for scents.

_Is it just me… or did Sandpaw look happy when Graypaw encouraged her?_

Somehow she doubted it. Sandpaw wasn't about to start fawning over the gray tom, anyway. _Must've been my imagination._

Sandpaw halted suddenly. "Firepaw!" she hissed. "I think Yellowfang is here! Her scent leads to that ash tree over there!"

"Great job!" Firepaw praised, bounding over to the she-cat with the three toms at her paws.

Dustpaw's eyes widened. "Wait!"

Ravenpaw turned to him in confusion. "What is it?"

"I think… I think I smell blood."

The other four cats froze and sniffed the air. Sure enough, it smelled like someone had been bleeding.

"I'll _kill_ those ShadowClan cats!" Graypaw spat, bristling.

Firepaw muttered to Dustpaw to follow her as she crept towards the ash tree that was a few fox-lengths away. Yellowfang's scent was growing stronger. She nodded to Dustpaw stalk on the opposite side, and together they leapt in front of the split part of the tree.

Yellowfang yowled in shock. "Firepaw! Dustpaw!"

"Where did you take the kits?" Dustpaw snarled, moving forwards as if to attack her.

Firepaw shoved him out of the way. "Calm down!" she spat. "You don't know if she did it or not!"

"The kit-blood was enough for me!" he growled back, bristling.

Yellowfang cut off Firepaw's next sentence. "It wasn't me!"

"Then why did you kill Spottedleaf?" Dustpaw challenged.

The other three cats were behind them now.

"Spottedleaf is _dead_?" Yellowfang echoed in disbelief, her orange eyes stretched wide.

"She really didn't know, then," Ravenpaw muttered from behind them.

"I know who has taken the kits, though," the old gray she-cat continued. "I smelled his scent near the nursery."

"Who was it?" Graypaw growled. "Whoever it was probably killed Spottedleaf!"

"It was Clawface. He's one of Brokenstar's warriors. As long as Frostfur's kits are with ShadowClan, they're in grave danger."

"Surely even ShadowClan wouldn't harm kits!" Firepaw protested.

"Don't be so sure," spat Yellowfang. "Brokenstar intends to use them as warriors."

"They're only three moons old!" Sandpaw gasped.

"That hasn't stopped him in the past, Sandpaw. He's been training kits as young as three moons since he became leader. At five moons he sends them out as warriors!"

"They'd be too small to fight!" Ravenpaw growled. A fire that Firepaw had never seen before was burning in his green eyes.

"Brokenstar doesn't care about that," Yellowfang hissed scornfully. "He has plenty of kits to spare. If he runs out, he can steal from other Clans!" Her voice shook with rage. "We're talking about a cat who killed kits from his own Clan!"

The five apprentices were stunned.

"If he killed ShadowClan's kits, why is he still leader?" Firepaw whispered.

"Because he lied," Yellowfang rasped, suddenly sounding tired. "He accused me of murder, and ShadowClan believed him."

"So that's why you were driven out," Sandpaw meowed softly. "You need to go back to Bluestar at once and tell her this!"

"Not until I've rescued your kits!" Yellowfang growled.

The six cats were silent for a few moments. "I can smell a ThunderClan patrol coming," Firepaw meowed. "If Tigerclaw is on it, Yellowfang, you don't stand a chance. He'll kill you the moment he sees you. He won't let us explain."

"Sandpaw, Ravenpaw, come with me." Yellowfang raised her eyes to look at Firepaw. "When Brokenstar became leader, he forced the elders to live on the boundary and hunt for themselves. These are cats who grew up with the warrior code. Some of them might help us."

Firepaw nodded, thinking quickly. "Alright. I'll try and persuade the ThunderClan cats to help us, too." She turned to the two toms. "If we talk to them before they see Yellowfang, we might be able to convince them to help us. Graypaw… you wait at the dead ash tree where we found Yellowfang until any of us return." Turning to Dustpaw, she meowed, "You can come with me to convince the patrol to help us."

The two cats nodded. Graypaw sat down at the base of the tree as Firepaw and Dustpaw padded out to meet the patrol.

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Firepaw and Dustpaw sprinted after the patrol. The angry ThunderClan cats weren't even bothering to disguise their tracks, so their trail was easy to follow. The thick rainclouds from earlier had disappeared. The moon was just rising, but its cold light couldn't pierce through the mist that clung to the shadowy undergrowth.

The two apprentices skidded to a halt behind the patrol. The warriors turned and glared at them, fur bristling and ears flattened aggressively. Darkstripe was with them, along with Mousefur, Runningwind, Willowpelt, and Stonefur. Whitestorm was leading the patrol.

"Firepaw! Dustpaw!" Whitestorm growled. "What are you two doing here?"

Firepaw was gasping for breath. "Bluestar sent me!" she panted. Dustpaw remained silent at her side, not making eye contact with Stonefur, who was his mentor. "She wanted me to find Yellowfang, so I brought the other apprentices to help me-"

Whitestorm interrupted her. "Ah! Bluestar told me I might find a friend out here. Now I understand what she meant." He eyed the two thoughtfully.

"Is Tigerclaw nearby?" Firepaw asked.

Whitestorm tilted his head. "Bluestar insisted that she needed him to remain at camp to protect the remaining kits."

She nodded quickly, relieved. She meowed urgently, "Whitestorm, we need your help. We can lead you to the kits. Graypaw is waiting for us at the ash tree. We plan to rescue the kits tonight- will you come?"

"Of course!" The cats flicked their tails in excitement.

"It will mean raiding the ShadowClan camp," she warned.

"Can you lead us there?" Runningwind meowed eagerly.

"No, but Yellowfang can. She promised to bring help from her old allies at the camp."

Mousefur glared at her and thrashed her tail angrily. "You found her?"

"I don't understand," Stonefur meowed, puzzled. "The traitor is going to help rescue the kits she stole?"

Firepaw took a breath to calm herself before staring at the gray tom, raising her chin. "Yellowfang did not take the kits, nor did she murder Spottedleaf. She wants to help us rescue the kits."

Whitestorm stared at her from his place beside the younger gray warrior. "Lead the way, you two," he ordered.

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Graypaw was pacing around the rotten trunk of the ash tree when the patrol emerged from the mist.

"Any sign of Yellowfang?" Dustpaw meowed.

"Not yet," he answered.

"We don't know how far it is to the ShadowClan camp," Firepaw pointed out quickly when she felt Whitestorm stiffen beside her. "She may be on her way back right now."

"Or she might be happily sharing tongues with her ShadowClan comrades while we sit here like fools waiting to be ambushed!" Darkstripe spat.

Whitestorm looked from the dark pelted warrior to Firepaw. "What do you think?" he prompted.

"She will be back," the ginger apprentice promised.

"Well said, young Firepaw," Yellowfang purred, stalking out from behind the ash tree and sitting down. "You're not the only one who can sneak up on someone. Remember the day we met? You were looking the wrong way then, too."

Sandpaw and Ravenpaw came out from behind the tree and padded over to the patrol. Three other ShadowClan cats appeared from behind the tree and settled themselves calmly on either side of Yellowfang. The ThunderClan cats bristled, alert and suspicious.

Both Clans stared silently at each other. Firepaw fidgeted uncomfortably at her place beside Dustpaw. Eventually one of the ShadowClan cats, a dark gray tom with a long, skinny body and a dull pelt spoke up. "We have come to help you, not to harm you. You have come for your kits, and we will help you rescue them."

"What's in it for you?" Whitestorm asked warily after a moment.

"We want your help to get rid of Brokenstar. He has broken the warrior code, and ShadowClan is suffering because of it."

"So it's that simple, is it?" Runningwind growled. "We just drop into your camp, snatch the kits, kill your leader, and go home."

"You will not meet as much resistance as you think," the gray tom murmured.

Yellowfang stood up. "Let me introduce my old friends," she meowed, weaving her way over to the gray tom. "This is Ashfall, one of the Clan's elders."

"This is Nightpelt, a senior warrior before Raggedstar was killed." She circled the battered black tom, who nodded at them.

"This is one of our elder queens, Dawncloud. Two of her kits died while driving out WindClan."

Dawncloud, a small tabby, nodded in greeting. "I do not wish to lose any more of my kits," she murmured.

Whitestorm gave his chest a quick lick to smooth down his fur. "You are clearly skilled warriors if you managed to creep up on us like that. But are there enough of you? We need to know what we'll face when we raid the ShadowClan camp."

"The old and the sick of ShadowClan are slowly starving," meowed Ashfall. "The casualties among are kits are more than we can cope with."

"But if ShadowClan is such a mess," Darkstripe burst out, "how come you've shown so much strength lately? And why is Brokenstar still your leader?"

"Brokenstar is surrounded by a small group of elite warriors," answered Ashfall. "They are the ones to fear, for they would die for him without questioning him. The other warriors obey his orders because they are frightened. They will fight by his side as long as they think Brokenstar is going to win. If they thought he would lose…"

"They would fight against him, not for him!" Darkstripe finished the elder's sentence, scowling with disgust. "What sort of loyalty is that?"

The hackles of the ShadowClan cats began to rise.

"Our Clan was not always like this," Yellowfang interrupted. "When Raggedstar led ShadowClan, we were feared for our strength. But in those days our strength came from the warrior code and Clan loyalty, not from fear and bloodlust." The old medicine cat sighed. "If only Raggedstar had lived longer."

"How did Raggedstar die?" Whitestorm asked curiously. "There were so many rumors at the Gatherings, but no one seemed to know for sure."

Yellowfang's eyes clouded with sorrow. "He was ambushed by a warrior patrol from another Clan."

Whitestorm nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, that's what most cats seemed to think. These are bad times, indeed, when leaders are picked off in the dark, instead of open and honorable battle."

Firepaw frowned, her mind racing over different battle plans. "Is there any way to take the kits without alerting the whole Clan?"

Dawncloud answered him, shaking her head. "They are very closely guarded. Brokenstar will be expecting ThunderClan to try to take them back. You won't be able to steal them in secret. Open attack is you only help."

"Then we must concentrate our attack on Brokenstar and his inner guard," Whitestorm meowed.

Yellowfang had a suggestion. "The ShadowClan warriors should lead me into camp. They could say they had captured me. We have to make sure Brokenstar and his warriors are out of their dens. News of my capture will bring them into the clearing. Once they're out in the open, I'll give the signal for you to attack."

Whitestorm was silent for a moment. Then he nodded, his face grave as he committed his warriors to the attack. "Very well, Yellowfang. Please lead the way to ShadowClan camp."

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"Stay in the toadstools- they'll cover your scent. Wait until you hear me call."

Yellowfang stepped back and let the other ShadowClan cats surround her, keeping her in the center as if she was their prisoner. They headed silently into the camp.

The ThunderClan cats waited in silence, alert to even the slightest sound. When yowling erupted , the ThunderClan cats sprang from their hiding place and raced through the entrance.

Yellowfang, Ashfall, Dawncloud, and Nightpelt were in a well-trodden, muddy clearing, wrestling with six vicious looking warriors. Firepaw recognized Brokenstar and his deputy, Blackfoot, among them. The warriors looked hungry and battle-scarred, but Firepaw could see the hard muscles pounding beneath their patchy fur.

Around the edge of the clearing, groups of scrawny cats stared uncertainly at the mayhem. Their skinny bodies seemed to recoil at the violence, while their dull eyes looked on, shocked and confused. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Runningnose back away and hide beneath a bush.

At Whitestorm's signal, the ThunderClan cats leaped into battle.

Firepaw grasped a silver tabby with her claws, but she was shaken loose. She tumbled over and the ShadowClan warrior turned on her, gripping her with thorn sharp claws. She managed to twist and sink her teeth deep into the tom's flesh. The warrior's yowl told her she'd found a tender spot, so she bit down harder. The warrior screeched again, ripping away from her and fleeing into the bushes.

Firepaw stood up as a young ShadowClan apprentice leaped at her from the edge of camp, her soft kitten fur fluffed up with fear.

She sheathed her claws and batted the kit away gently. "This isn't your battle," she hissed. "Try again when you're older."

Turning around, she saw that Whitestorm had Blackfoot pinned to the ground. The white tom gave the deputy a vicious bite, making the tom race off toward the camp entrance and out to the safety of the forest.

"Firepaw!" She heard Dawncloud screech her name. "Watch out! Clawface is-" She didn't hear the rest. A heavily built brown cat crashed into her.

_Spottedleaf's killer._

She bared her teeth, letting out a snarl. Despite being considerably smaller than the tabby, she whirled around and flung herself at him. She pushed the warrior into the ground, pressing his head into the dirt. Blinded by the fury that clearly showed on her face, she prepared to sink her fangs into the tom's neck. Before she could deal the death blow, Stonefur knocked her aside.

"ThunderClan cats don't kill unless they have to," he growled into her ear. "We just need to let them know not to show their faces here again!" He gave Clawface a fierce bite that sent him yowling out of camp.

Still furious, Firepaw looked around wildly. Brokenstar's warriors had gone. An angry screech sounded from behind Ravenpaw. As Ravenpaw leaped out of the way, Firepaw saw Yellowfang gripping Brokenstar with muddy, bloodstained paws. His body bled from several wounds. His ears were flat against his head, and his whiskers were drawn back as he crouched, flattened beneath Yellowfang's powerful grasp.

"I never thought you'd be harder to kill than my father!" he snarled up at her, his orange eyes blazing.

Yellowfang recoiled as though she'd been struck, her face suddenly twisted by shock and grief. She loosened her grip on Brokenstar, and instantly he threw her aside with a powerful twist of his powerful body.

"_You_ killed Raggedstar?" Yellowfang wailed, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Brokenstar eyed her coldly. "You found his body. Didn't you recognize my fur between his claws?" Yellowfang stared in horror as he continued. "He was a soft and foolish leader. He deserved to die."

"No!" hissed Yellowfang, her head dropping. She shook herself and looked up at Brokenstar, arching her back. "And Brightflower's kits? Did they deserve to die, too?" she rasped.

Brokenstar growled and hurled himself at Yellowfang, forcing her onto her belly. The gray-furred she-cat didn't even struggle against his thorn-sharp claws. Firepaw, with alarm, noticed that her eyes were glazed with sadness.

"Those kits were weak," Brokenstar hissed, bending his face towards Yellowfang's ear. "They would've been of no use to ShadowClan. If I hadn't killed them, some other warrior would've."

A wail of grief went up from a black-and-white queen. Brokenstar paid her no attention. "I should have killed you when I had the chance," he spat at Yellowfang. "It appears that I have some of my father's softness. I was a fool to let you leave ShadowClan alive!" He lunged, teeth bared, ready to sink them into her neck.

Firepaw was quicker. She jumped onto Brokenstar's back before he could clamp his jaws shut. Firepaw dug her claws into the matted tabby fur and pulled him off the exhausted medicine cat, dragging him to the edge of the clearing.

Brokenstar twisted around to look at her, spitting viciously. "Don't waste your time, apprentice! I've shared dreams with StarClan! You'll have to kill me nine times before I join them. Do you really think you're strong enough for that?" His eyes glowed with confidence and defiance.

Firepaw stared back at him, her belly tightening. Brokenstar was a Clan leader! How on earth could she be expected to defeat him? But the watching ShadowClan cats had begun to slowly pad towards their defeated leader, hissing and spitting with hatred. They were battered and half-starved, but Brokenstar was outnumbered. He seemed to realize this. He crouched and backed away through the bushes, his orange eyes glittering menacingly from the shadows. His eyes found Firepaw's.

"This isn't over, apprentice," he hissed before turning and vanishing into the forest after his defeated warriors.

Firepaw turned to look at Whitestorm. "Do we go after them?"

The white warrior shook his head. "No. I think they got the message that they're not welcome here."

Nightpelt, the ShadowClan warrior from earlier, nodded in agreement. "Leave them. If they dare to show their faces here again, ShadowClan will be strong enough by then to tackle them alone."

The rest of ShadowClan was huddled together among the ruins of their camp, as if numb by the realization that their leader had gone. _It'll take time to rebuild this Clan_, Firepaw mused.

"The kits!"

Firepaw heard Ravenpaw's meow from the far corner of the clearing. She rushed over to her friend's side, Mousefur and Whitestorm at their heels. As they approached the den, which Firepaw assumed to be the nursery, the black-and-white queen from earlier emerged.

"Brokenstar had been keeping them in a pit," Brightflower whispered. "I moved them to my nest. I couldn't bear to see kits treated like that, even if they're from an enemy Clan. They have some scratches and are bleeding a little, but they seem fine."

Whitestorm nodded to the queen. "Thank you," he murmured.

The she-cat dipped her head and stood aside so the cats could get to their Clan's missing kits.

The four kits were whimpering and wailing in the mossy nest. Firepaw lifted out the gray tabby she-kit, who mewled in response. Her fur reminded Firepaw of embers of an old fire.

Mousefur pulled the four kits towards her, comforting them with licks and caresses.

Yellowfang looked closely at the bigger golden-brown tabby's torn ear. "We need to stop the bleeding," she meowed.

Runningnose stepped out from the shadows. His forepaw was coated in a layer of cobwebs, which he silently passed to Yellowfang. She nodded her thanks and began to treat the kit's wound.

Nightpelt approached the group of ThunderClan cats. "You helped ShadowClan rid itself of a brutal and dangerous leader, and we are grateful. But it is time you left our camp and returned to your own. I promise your hunting grounds will be free of ShadowClan warriors as long as we can find enough food in our own territory."

Whitestorm nodded. "Hunt in peace for one moon, Nightpelt. ThunderClan knows you need time to rebuild your own Clan." He turned to Yellowfang, who had finished treating the kit's ear. "And you, Yellowfang? Do you wish to return with us, or stay here with your own comrades?"

Yellowfang looked up. "I will return with you." She glanced at the gash on Whitestorm's hind leg. "You will need a medicine cat, for yourself, the kits, and the rest of your Clan."

"Thank you," Whitestorm purred. He signaled to the rest of the ThunderClan cats with a sweep of his tail and led them out of the clearing. Mousefur and Willowpelt helped the kits, who stumbled along, exhausted and bewildered. Yellowfang walked close to the wounded tabby, lifting him by the scruff whenever he slipped. Firepaw padded alongside Graypaw and Ravenpaw, followed by Sandpaw and Dustpaw, as they moved back to camp.

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The moon was not quite at its peak in the sky when they got back to camp. Firepaw, followed by the other apprentices, sprinted back into camp ahead of the rest of the patrol. Frostfur was resting in the middle of the clearing, her head on her paws. As the apprentices bounded in, she shot up and sniffed the air. "My kits!" she cried, racing past the apprentices to meet the patrol.

The four kits rushed to their mother, who curled around them, licking them on their heads and purring loudly.

Yellowfang hung back and looked on silently.

Bluestar strode up to the returning patrol. She glanced fondly at Frostfur and her kits before turning her eyes to Whitestorm. "Are they alright?" she asked.

"They're fine," he answered.

"Well done, Whitestorm. The Clan honors you."

He shook his head. "It was thanks to these five apprentices that we got to them."

Firepaw lifted her head and tail proudly, and the other apprentices straightened up, purring. She was about to speak, but was interrupted by Tigerclaw's accusing snarl.

"Why did you bring back the traitor?" The dark warrior stalked over to the patrol and stood by his leader.

"She's no traitor," Sandpaw insisted. Firepaw looked fondly at her friend. The rest of the cats had quickly gathered in the clearing to see the kits and congratulate the patrol. Some had spotted Yellowfang and were shooting her looks of pure hatred.

"She killed Spottedleaf!" Longtail snarled.

"Look at the fur between Spottedleaf's claws," Graypaw suggested. "You'll find the brown fur of Clawface, not Yellowfang's gray fur."

Bluestar nodded to Mousefur, who darted away from the crowd to where Spottedleaf's body lay, waiting for its dawn burial. The Clan waited in tense silence.

"Graypaw is right!" Mousefur meowed, returning to the patrol's side. "Spottedleaf was not attacked by a gray cat."

A murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd.

"That doesn't mean that she didn't take the kits!" hissed Tigerclaw.

"Without Yellowfang, we never would've recovered the kits!" Ravenpaw spat at his mentor, surprising every cat there. Firepaw beamed at him. "She knew that a ShadowClan warrior had taken them," he continued. "She was hunting for them when we found her. She risked her life returning to the ShadowClan camp. It was Yellowfang who thought up the battle plan that got us into their camp and gave us the chance to defeat Brokenstar!"

"He's right," Whitestorm meowed. "Yellowfang is a friend."

"I'm glad to hear it," Bluestar murmured, catching Firepaw's eye.

"Is Brokenstar dead?" Frostfur meowed anxiously, curling tighter around her kits.

"No, he escaped," Stonefur admitted. "But he will never lead ShadowClan again, that's for sure."

Frostfur sighed with relief.

Whitestorm looked at Bluestar. "I promised ShadowClan a moon of peace. Brokenstar's reign has left their Clan in chaos."

Bluestar nodded approvingly. "A wise and generous offer." She walked past Whitestorm and the rest of the patrol, stopping in front of Yellowfang. The gray she-cat lowered her eyes as Bluestar touched the medicine cat's gray pelt with her nose.

"Yellowfang, I wish for you to replace Spottedleaf as the medicine cat of ThunderClan," she meowed. "I'm sure you'll find all of her supplies in her den."

The rest of the Clan began to murmur excitedly. Yellowfang looked around uncertainly, saying nothing.

Frostfur glanced at the other queens before she met Yellowfang's gaze and slowly nodded her approval.

Yellowfang dipped her head respectfully at the white cat before addressing her new leader. "Thank you, Bluestar. ShadowClan is not the Clan I once knew. ThunderClan is my home now."

Bluestar purred. "Good." She paused, turning to Whitestorm. "There are two ceremonies I wish to perform tonight."

"First of all, I wish to appoint two new apprentices. This is sudden, I know, but this must be done." She turned to face her daughter, Mossheart. "Mossheart's kits are six moons old and ready to be apprenticed."

Sunkit and Stormkit bounced excitedly in response. Their mother hushed them.

"Sunkit and Stormkit, you have reached your sixth moon. From this day forward, until you two receive your warrior names, you shall be known as Sunpaw and Stormpaw. I can already see your father's courage within you." Her eyes darkened with sadness. "Sunpaw, your mentor will be Darkstripe. Darkstripe, you were taught well by Tigerclaw, and I expect you to teach your fine battle skills to Sunpaw." She turned to the new apprentice's littermate. "Stormpaw, until you become a warrior, your mentor will be Willowpelt. Willowpelt, you are a fine warrior. Stormpaw is your first apprentice, so don't be scared to ask older warriors for advice."

The two toms eagerly touched noses with their new mentors before sitting down beside them.

"The second ceremony I wish to perform is that of naming new warriors. The five apprentices who went and brought back our kits and Yellowfang deserve to be made into warriors."

Bluestar's gaze settled on them. "I, Bluestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look upon these five apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them warriors in their turn. Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

All five solemnly answered, "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Dustpaw, from this moment forward, you shall be known as Dustpelt. StarClan honors your honesty and bravery."

"Sandpaw, from this moment forward, you shall be known as Sandstorm. StarClan honors your courage and spirit."

"Ravenpaw, from this moment forward, you shall be known as Ravenfeather. StarClan honors your kindness and thoughtfulness."

"Graypaw, from this moment forward, you shall be known as Graystripe. StarClan honors your bravery and strength."

Finally, her gaze rested upon Firepaw. "Firepaw, from this moment forward, you shall be known as Firesong. StarClan honors your determination and intelligence."

"ThunderClan now welcomes the five of you as warriors."

"Dustpelt! Sandstorm! Ravenfeather! Graystripe! Firesong!" The Clan chanted their names loudly to the sky, making Firesong's heart swell with pride.

Lifting her chin, she thought, _I did it. I'm finally a warrior._


	9. IMPORTANT NOTICE

**NOTICE: From here on out, the Warriors series is going to be a lot different in terms of who mates with who. There's going to be a LOT for crack couples. I'm keeping… **_flips through notebook_ **I dunno. At least two canon couples. And before you ask… Firesong's mate has been hinted throughout the story up until this point. It's very subtle, though. I'm not going to tell anyone who gets paired with who. However, if you have any suggestions for the actual STORY (aka, not the pairings/kits), I'd be happy to see if I can incorporate it into this story. I'm just winging it right now. If you want any OCs in the other Clans… I suppose I can fit a couple into other Clans. Not ThunderClan. They're going to have a buttload of cats. Just make sure the names are names that Erin Hunter would pick (not Sparklegaze or Rainbowheart or anything weird like that) and make sure their descriptions are also NORMAL for a cat. No accessories, not weird fur colors. A collar is okay if they'd been a kittypet, though. But if it's a normal cat, sure, I'd love to have some OCs in here. Go right ahead. This story is a fanfic for a reason. …and I just really need cats.**

**~Watermellonfuzz**


	10. Chapter 9

**EDIT3: Sorry, fixing this thing so it's not 'solely based upon a character list and therefore against the rules.' …I should pay more attention that stuff… the only reason I even did this was because other people always did it like this. I don't see THEM getting in trouble. …though I wasn't actually in trouble? I don't THINK the person who told me was an admin… But idk.**

**EDIT2: Added the other Clans and actually put the ThunderClan apprentices under a warrior name asdfghjkl**

**EDIT: I fixed Brindleface so that she didn't have "pregnant" next to her name. She had her kits, so I put them there. The books only ever said Ashkit and Fernkit's names, so I just made up the other two's names. They died in the books, but I figured it was worth putting their names on there. Should I keep them alive for the story? I was planning on killing off at least one, if anything… or maybe killing them off later in the story. They might just die from greencough or whatever they died from in the books.**

**~Watermellonfuzz**

**ThunderClan**

_Leader_ **Bluestar-** blue-gray she-cat with silver around her muzzle

_Deputy _**Tigerclaw- **big dark brown tabby tom with unusually long front claws

_Medicine Cat _**Yellowfang- **old dark gray she-cat with a broad, flattened face

_Warriors-_

**Whitestorm- **big white tom

**Willowpelt- **very pale gray she-cat with unusual blue eyes  
Apprentice, **Stormpaw**

**Runningwind- **swift tabby tom

**Stonefur- **gray tom with battle-scarred ears and blue eyes

**Darkstripe- **sleek black-and-gray tabby tom  
Apprentice, **Sunpaw**

**Longtail- **pale tabby tom with dark black stripes

**Mossheart-** pale-gray-and-white she-cat with green eyes

**Dustpelt-** dark brown tabby tom

**Ravenfeather-** small, skinny black tom with a white dash on his chest, and a white-tipped tail

**Sandstorm-** pale ginger she-cat

**Graystripe-** long-haired solid gray tom

**Firesong-** pretty ginger she-cat

_Apprentices_

**Stormpaw-** silver tabby tom with green eyes

**Sunpaw-** white tom with golden patches, has amber eyes

_Queens_

**Frostfur-** beautiful white she-cat with blue eyes  
_Kits:_ **Cinderkit** (fluffy gray she-cat), **Brackenkit** (golden-brown tabby tom), **Thornkit** (golden-brown tabby tom), and **Brightkit** (white-and-ginger she-cat)

**Brindleface-** pretty tabby she-cat  
_Kits:_ **Ashkit** (gray tom with darker flecks), **Fernkit** (light gray she-cat with darker flecks), **Thistlekit **(dark gray tom), **Larkkit** (small gray she-cat with darker flecks)

**Goldenflower-** pale ginger she-cat  
_Kits:_ **Swiftkit-** black and white tom

**Speckletail-** pale tabby, oldest nursery queen (pregnant)

**Mistyfoot-** blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes  
_Kits:_ **Leafkit** (tortoiseshell she-cat), **Dapplekit** (gray she-cat with darker flecks), and **Moonkit** (silver and white tabby she-cat)

**Mousefur- **small dusky brown she-cat (pregnant, expecting Longtail's kits)

_Elders_

**Halftail-** big dark brown tabby tom with part of his tail missing

**Smallear-** gray tom with very small ears, oldest cat in ThunderClan

**Patchpelt-** small black-and-white tom

**Dappletail-** once-pretty tortoiseshell she-cat with a lovely dappled coat

**One-eye-** pale gray she-cat, virtually blind and deaf

**ShadowClan**

_Leader _**Nightpelt-** old black tom

_Deputy _**Cinderfur-** thin gray tom

_Medicine cat_ **Runningnose-** small gray-and-white tom

_Warriors_

**Stumpytail-** brown tabby tom  
Apprentice, **Brownpaw**

**Wetfoot-** gray tabby tom  
Apprentice, **Oakpaw**

**Sunblaze- **light brown tabby tom with black and darker brown spots  
Apprentice, **Graypaw**

**Brightflower- **black-and-white she-cat

**Dappledawn- **tortoiseshell she-cat

**Shadesky-** dark gray tabby tom

**Smokestorm-** dark gray she-cat with black paws

**Littlecloud-** small light brown tabby tom

_Apprentices_

**Brownpaw- **big brown tabby tom

**Oakpaw-** dark brown tabby tom

**Graypaw-** fluffy gray tom with darker points

_Queens_

**Dawncloud-** small golden tabby she-cat

**Darkflower-** black she-cat  
_Kits:_ **Mistkit** (black-and-gray she-cat), **Fogkit** (pale gray she-cat), **Toadkit** (black tom)

**Tallpoppy-** long-legged light brown tabby she-cat

**Iceshadow- **white and black she-cat  
_Kits:_ **Bearkit** (mottled brown tom), **Cougarkit** (light brown and black she-cat), **Wolfkit** (light gray tom with darker stripes and spots), **Lynxkit** (small light brown tabby she-cat with gray-brown stripes)

_Elders_

**Ashfall-** thin gray tom

**WindClan**

_Leader_ **Tallstar- **black-and-white tom with a very long tail

_Deputy _**Deadfoot-** black tom with a twisted paw

_Medicine Cat _**Barkface- **short-tailed brown tom

_Warriors_

**Mudclaw-** mottled dark brown tom  
Apprentice, **Webpaw**

**Tornear- **light brown tabby tom  
Apprentice, **Runningpaw**

**Stormbreeze-** long-furred dark gray she-cat

**Onewhisker- **brown tabby tom  
Apprentice, **Whitepaw**

**Pineheart**- brown and white tabby tom

**Ravenwhisper-** black she-cat

**Swiftflame-** white and ginger tabby tom

**Roseblaze-** pretty dark cream-and-brown she-cat

_Apprentices_

**Webpaw- **dark gray tabby tom

**Runningpaw-** light brown tabby she-cat

**Whitepaw-** white she-cat

_Queens_

**Ashfoot-** gray she-cat  
_Kit: _**Eaglekit** (black tom)

**Morningflower-** tortoiseshell she-cat  
_Kit: _**Gorsekit** (ginger and white tabby tom)

**RiverClan**

_Leader _**Crookedstar-** huge light brown tabby tom with a twisted jaw

_Deputy _**Leopardfur-** unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat  
Apprentice, **Streampaw**

_Medicine Cat_ **Mudfur-** long-haired light brown tom

_Warriors_

**Blackclaw-** smoky black tom  
Apprentice, **Heavypaw**

**Eagleflight- **brown tabby tom

**Loudbelly-** dark brown tom  
Apprentice, **Sneezepaw** (her name was Silverpaw in the books, so I called her Sneezepaw)

**Lionstrike**- golden tabby she-cat

**Silverstream-** pretty, slender silver tabby she-cat

**Whiteclaw-** dark gray tabby tom  
Apprentice, **Shadepaw**

**Mosspelt-** tortoiseshell she-cat

_Apprentices_

**Heavypaw- **big gray tabby tom

**Sneezepaw-** tortoiseshell she-cat

**Shadepaw- **dark gray tabby she-cat

**Streampaw- **brown tabby she-cat with unusual dark blue eyes

_Queens_

**Greenflower- **ginger tabby she-cat  
_Kits:_ **Heronkit** (ginger and white tabby tom), **Hailkit** (gray tabby tom)

_Elders_

**Graypool-** old gray tabby she-cat

_Cats outside Clans_

**Smudge-** plump, friendly black-and-white tom who lives in a house at the edge of the forest

**Barley-** black-and-white tom who lives on a farm outside of WindClan territory

**Brokenstar-** long-haired dark brown tabby, formerly ShadowClan's leader

**Blackfoot-** large white tom with black paws, formerly ShadowClan deputy

**Clawface-** battle-scarred brown tabby tom, formerly of ShadowClan

**Boulder-** silver tabby tom, formerly of ShadowClan

**Princess-** light brown tabby she-cat with a distinctive white chest and paws (kittypet/Firesong's sister)

**Cloudkit-** Princess's first born kit, a long-haired white tom

**Aaaand now we begin Fire and Ice. Yayyy!**

**From here on out, the Warriors series is going to be a lot different in terms of who mates with who. There's going to be a LOT for crack couples. I'm keeping… **flips through notebook **I dunno. At least two canon couples. And before you ask… Firesong's mate has been hinted throughout the story up until this point. It's very subtle, though, in the past chapters. I'm not going to tell anyone who gets paired with who, either. So no whining or begging or anything. Seriously. I'm not going to tell you xD**

**I've got my need for cats pretty much covered for now, by the way. I may ask for more in the future, though I don't know for sure.**

**~Watermellonfuzz**

Firesong shivered, fluffing up her flame-colored fur. Her pelt, sadly, was still Greenleaf light, though- it would be a few moons before it was thick enough to keep out cold like this. She shuffled her forepaws, glancing around. The sun was starting to rise, but she dare not speak until another cat told her it was okay to speak.

Yesterday's victory was playing on constant repeat in her mind. It had kept her awake last night during her vigil. Brokenstar's narrowed orange eyes glittered with hate as he stared at her and the rest of ThunderClan. He backed away, hissing threats. He fled with the promise of revenge in his eyes.

She shook her head to clear it, thinking of ShadowClan's gratefulness instead. The sheer relief they'd felt at the loss of their leader, the raw pain they'd gone through under Brokenstar's leadership… Firesong had seen it all in their eyes, had heard it as they spoke. Brokenstar hadn't only brought chaos to his own Clan- he'd brought it to WindClan as he drove them out for territory. He'd brought it to ThunderClan when his warriors killed Lionheart. When Clawface killed Spottedleaf. When they stole Frostfur's kits. But that was over now, thankfully. Lionheart was a horrible loss, but ThunderClan would survive. Frostfur's kits had been recovered, with the help of Yellowfang. The old she-cat was now officially a member of ThunderClan, and cats were warming up to her, much to Firesong's pleasure.

However, one other cat troubled her: Tigerclaw. Her Clan's deputy. The ginger-pelted she-cat shuddered both at the thought of him and at the sudden breeze. Tigerclaw, according to Ravenfeather, killed Redtail. Redtail, the deputy she'd never known. Redtail, Bluestar's long-time deputy. Redtail, Dustpelt's former mentor. Redtail, Mistyfoot's mate and the father of her kits. Redtail, a noble cat.

Redtail, killed because of an overly ambitious cat's desire to become deputy.

Firesong dug her claws into the hardened earth, imagining it as Tigerclaw's body. She nearly jumped out of her pelt when she heard someone talking to her.

"Firesong?" Runningwind was eyeing her curiously. When she acknowledged him with a nod, he continued, "Your vigil is over. You can speak now."

Firesong got to her paws, arching her back, stretching until her legs trembled. "Should I tell the others?"

Runningwind shook his head. "No, it's fine. I'll tell them."

She nodded her thanks, padded sleepily to the apprentices' den- a habit she needed to grow out of.

Sandstorm was at her side suddenly, nudging her the other way. "Firesong, we're _warriors_ now," she purred, clearly amused.

Firesong felt her pelt heat up in embarrassment, mumbling an 'oops'. She glanced towards the fresh-kill pile longingly, wondering if she should eat or sleep first. "Hey, Sandstorm, do you want to eat the mice on the fresh-kill pile?"

Sandstorm glanced at the pile, nodding. "Alright. After that, I could definitely use a good sleep."

The two each grabbed a mouse off of the pile before settling down to eat it. When they finished, Sandstorm rose to her paws. "I hope we can find nests," she sighed.

As they entered the den, Firesong saw Ravenfeather, Graystripe, and Dustpelt settling down in nests towards the left side of the den. The two she-cats looked around awkwardly, looking for empty nests. As Firesong was about to give up and find moss to make her own, Stonefur raised his head.

"Firesong," he called quietly, careful not to wake the other sleeping cats. "I made you a nest over here."

Firesong sighed in relief. As she padded over, she noticed an empty nest on the side that Stonefur wasn't on. As she gestured to Sandstorm, the pale ginger tabby shot her a knowing look. Firesong tilted her head, confused. _What was that look for? Stonefur's just being nice._ Oh well. She'd talk to Sandstorm when she woke up.

She circled a couple of times in the nest before lying down. It seemed to her that as soon as her eyes closed, she was instantly asleep.

**LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE**

Firesong's dreams were haunted with images of flames. She could've sworn that she was looking at a cat in those flames. It was a ginger she-cat, by the looks of it. Green eyes stared back at her.

_Remember, Firesong. The heart of the fire is always blue._

_Who said that? _She looked around wildly, seeing no other cat besides the ginger she-cat. Was she the one who spoke to h… _Wait_. Was it just her, or did the she-cat's eyes turn blue? Those eyes… they were so familiar-

"Wake up, Firesong!"

Firesong's eyes shot open. She lifted her head, startled by Tigerclaw's growl.

"You were meowing in your sleep!"

Still a little dazed, Firesong sat up. "Sorry, Tigerclaw!" _I hope I didn't say those words out loud… what were they, again? 'The heart of the fire is always blue'? I don't understand…_

"Firesong!" Tigerclaw was snapping at her again.

She lifted her head to glare at him for interrupting her thoughts. However, upon seeing the extremely annoyed expression he had on his face, she looked away and muttered, "Alright, alright, I'm going!"

Tigerclaw snorted and looked at her as if she was the most idiotic cat he'd ever known. "You don't even have _orders_ yet, kittypet."

Firesong felt the rage that always coursed through her veins when a cat called her that. "I've proven myself that I'm loyal to ThunderClan over and over," she snapped. "I don't need you to call me that! I'm a ThunderClan warrior now."

The dark tabby ignored her protests. "Anyway, _kittypet_, I need you to go on the evening patrol. Get that useless lump of fur over there to go with you," he grunted, gesturing to Graystripe, who was still dozing in his nest. "Whitestorm is leading the patrol- he should be waiting at the camp entrance."

Shooting him another furious glare, she nudged Graystripe awake and padded out to meet Whitestorm.

**LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE**

When Firesong returned, she felt less annoyed at Tigerclaw. She'd acted out of paw, so he'd rebuked her. But still, _kittypet_ was an insult she wouldn't tolerate.

The patrol had gone well. They'd gone to the ShadowClan border to make sure no ShadowClan cat had been hunting on their territory and found no evidence of stolen prey. That was a good sign, even if it'd only been a day since driving out Brokenstar.

Now she was lying beside Graystripe, whiskers twitching with amusement as she saw Sandstorm sneak yet another look at the gray tom. Dustpelt seemed to have noticed, too, because he narrowed his eyes at Graystripe. Ravenfeather looked a little uncomfortable. Graystripe was busy finishing his mouse and chatting to Firesong to pay any attention to the pale ginger she-cat that kept sneaking glances at him. Sandstorm didn't seem pleased at the lack of attention, so she interrupted Graystripe.

"So, Firesong," she began slyly. "What was up with Stonefur making you a nest by his?"

Firesong blinked in surprise, tilting her head. "What do you mean-"

Graystripe immediately interrupted her. "Stonefur did _what_?" He shot a glance at the large gray tom through narrowed yellow eyes. Stonefur, however, was too busy observing Mistyfoot's three she-kits play fight. He offered advice every now and then.

Ravenfeather looked surprised, and Dustpelt seemed to be rather amused. Firesong didn't understand _any_ of her friends' reactions.

"He made Firesong a nest," Sandstorm repeated, looking quite pleased with herself for revealing this information. "And it's _right next to his._"

"Um," Firesong raised her voice, confused. "What's the big deal?"

Graystripe looked outraged by now. "What's the _big deal_? The deal is that-"

"Oh, let her figure it out herself," Dustpelt snorted, flicking his tail lazily.

"Why should I?" the gray tom challenged. "She's going to find out eventually!"

"It'd be better if you let things happen at their own pace," Dustpelt yawned. "I'm going to go sleep now. I'll see you four in the morning."

Ravenfeather was quick to dismiss himself as well. He still seemed uncomfortable with the conversation. The black tom shot a look at Graystripe before he entered the warriors' den. Sandstorm looked between Graystripe and Firesong for a moment before she, too, announced that she was going to sleep.

Graystripe still looked furious. Firesong tilted her head, unsure as to why he was so angry. She shrugged it off, getting to her paws. She glanced at Stonefur. _I still don't get it…_

"I'm going to go to sleep," she sighed. "I'll see you in the morning, Graystripe."

"Wait, Firesong!" Graystripe protested, scrambling to his paws as she began to walk off. "I…"

Firesong turned her head. "Yeah? What is it?"

He hesitated. "Nothing. Nevermind."

The pretty ginger she-cat blinked. "Okay, then."

Unknown to both of them, Stonefur was watching them with narrowed eyes.

**LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE**

It had been a few days since Sandstorm had asked her about Stonefur, and Firesong still didn't understand.

Now all of the cats were sitting in front of the Highrock as Bluestar made Swiftkit an apprentice.

"…and until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Swiftpaw. Longtail, Darkstripe trained you well. He taught you valuable hunting and fighting skills, and I expect you to pass these on to young Swiftpaw."

_Longtail probably isn't impressed_, she mused, watching the young black-and-white tom. She recalled Longtail's scorn when Firesong became an apprentice, how he taunted her viciously. There was something in the slope of his shoulders that made him seem too young and timid to be an apprentice.

As the newly named Swiftpaw padded towards his new mentor to touch noses with him, his amber eyes were wide with anxiety. Firesong searched Longtail's expression for disdain. Instead, his eyes softened and he murmured encouragingly, "It's okay. You're doing fine."

_Just because he's Clanborn_, she thought angrily.

Graystripe glanced at her. "What's up with you? That'll be us one day!"

Firesong nodded, suddenly cheered by the thought of getting her own apprentice. She was a part of ThunderClan, after all. Surely that was all that mattered? She watched as Goldenflower, Swiftpaw's mother, covered her son with licks. Mousefur padded up to Longtail, purring her congratulations and twining her tail with his. The pale tabby nuzzled her in return.

Mousefur, as they would find out later that night, was expecting Longtail's kits. Firesong wasn't especially surprised- the two warriors were too close to be considered friends, and the she-cat's belly was bulging slightly.

_I suppose he can't be _that_ bad, since Mousefur loves him…_

**LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE**

Another few nights later, Firesong was sitting at the Fourtrees with Graystripe. The ShadowClan cats were beginning to look sleek and well-fed again, much to her pleasure.

Two warriors approached the two ThunderClanners with a small brown apprentice trailing after them. Firesong recognized the gray tabby as a ShadowClan warrior, having seen him during the battle. She did not, however, recognize the golden tabby following him.

"Hi!" the gray tom meowed.

"Hello, Wetfoot," she replied, glancing at the she-cat at his side.

"This is Lionstrike of RiverClan," Wetfoot introduced. The golden tabby nodded at them, narrowing her eyes. The brown tabby apprentice stepped forward timidly.

"This is my apprentice, Oakpaw," Wetfoot added proudly.

"H-hi, Firesong, Graystripe," he meowed, his eyes wide and anxious. Firesong dipped her head in greeting.

"I'd heard that Bluestar made you warriors after the battle. Congratulations!" Wetfoot purred. "It must've been a cold vigil, though."

"It was," Graystripe agreed.

"Who's that?" Firesong broke in. A sleek she-cat with a mottled golden pelt had caught her attention. She was sharing words with Tigerclaw beside the Great Rock that stood in the center of the clearing.

"That's my sister, Leopardfur," Lionstrike answered shortly. "She's also our deputy."

Firesong stiffened, thinking of the last RiverClan deputy, Oakheart, and how he died in battle against ThunderClan. She was saved from having to say anything as Bluestar bounded to the top of the rock to start the meeting. As she did so, two other cats joined her; one of them an elderly black tom, who sounded the call for all cats to gather beneath the rock. Firesong recognized the tom with surprise. Nightpelt had become leader of ShadowClan?

Stonefur weaved through the cats to settle down beside her, his short gray fur just barely brushing hers, which suddenly reminded her of what Sandstorm had said days ago. It didn't help her confusion when she felt tingles from where his pelt touched hers.

Bluestar started the meeting. "ThunderClan brings to this Gathering their new medicine cat, Yellowfang," she announced formally. She paused while all eyes turned to the old she-cat with the thick, gray fur and flattened muzzle. Firesong noticed her shuffle her haunches on the hard ground. Early in her apprenticeship, she'd spent almost a whole moon nursing the old she-cat back to help after she'd come to the ThunderClan camp. Now she could tell by the way her right ear twisted slightly that she was uncomfortable under the gaze of the other Clans. Yellowfang had been medicine cat to ShadowClan, and cats hardly ever left their Clan to join another. She looked around the crowd slowly until she met the gaze of Runningnose, ShadowClan's new medicine cat. There was a brief pause before they exchanged a respectful nod. Yellowfang's ear straightened and Firesong relaxed.

"We also bring two of our five newly named warriors," Bluestar continued. "Firesong and Graystripe. Sandstorm, Dustpelt, and Ravenfeather have remained at camp."

Firesong raised her head high, but as she felt all eyes turn to look at her, a surge of self-consciousness made her tail flick nervously.

"Don't worry about it," Stonefur murmured into her ear. "They're just curious. I doubt they've seen a kittypet become a warrior before!" he joked. "But really, it's something to be proud of."

She allowed herself to relax, nodding slowly. "Thank you."

Nightpelt stepped forward, brushing past Bluestar to stand on the highest part of the rock. "I, Nightpelt, have taken over leadership of ShadowClan," he announced. "Our former leader, Brokenstar, broke the warrior code. Because of that, we were forced to drive him out."

On her left, Graystripe bristled. "No mention of the fact that we helped them do it," he growled quietly.

Nightpelt continued on without mentioning ThunderClan, though. "The spirits of our ancestors have spoken to Runningnose and chosen me as leader. I have not yet travelled to Mothermouth to receive StarClan's gift of nine lives, but I will make this journey tomorrow night while the moon is still full. After my vigil at the Moonstone, I shall be known as Nightstar."

"Where is Brokenstar now?" called Frostfur from the crowd, her eyes flashing with worry.

"I think we can assume that he has left the forest, along with the other banished warriors. He knows it would be dangerous for him to try to return," answered Nightpelt.

RiverClan's leader, Crookedstar, stepped forward. "Let's hope that Brokenstar has had the sense to leave the forest for good. His greed for territory threatened us all."

He waited for the yowls of agreement to die down before continuing. "While Brokenstar was ShadowClan's leader, I allowed him to hunt in our river. But now ShadowClan has a new leader, and this agreement can no longer stand. The prey in the river belongs to RiverClan alone." Mews of triumph rose from the RiverClan cats, but Firesong saw that Nightpelt was bristling.

Nightpelt raised his voice. "ShadowClan has the same needs as it did under Brokenstar. We have many mouths to feed, Crookedstar. You made an agreement with the whole of ShadowClan!"

Crookedstar leaped to his paws and turned on Nightpelt. He flattened his ears and hissed, and the cats below fell silent.

Bluestar stepped between them quickly. "ShadowClan has suffered many losses recently, Nightpelt. With fewer mouths to feed, do you really need RiverClan's fish?"

Crookedstar hissed again, but Nightpelt held his gaze without flinching.

Bluestar spoke again, this time more forcefully. "You have just driven out your leader and several of your strongest warriors, Nightpelt! Brokenstar went against the warrior code when he forced Crookedstar to agree to share the river."

Firesong flattened her ears in alarm when she noticed Nightpelt unsheathe his claws, but Bluestar didn't blink. Her icy blue gaze glinted in the moonlight as she growled, "Remember that you have yet to receive your nine lives from StarClan, Nightpelt. Are you so confident that you can make these demands?" Firesong tensed when she felt the bristling of fur around her. She, though not aware of it, pressed closer to Stonefur's flank. The tom shot her a look of surprise (and was that a hint of pleasure she saw in those blue eyes?), making her look away in embarrassment, moving away a bit.

The crowd anxiously awaited Nightpelt's response. His tail flicked side to side, though he said nothing. Bluestar had won. Her voice softened. "We all know ShadowClan has suffered much these past few moons. ThunderClan has agreed to leave you in peace until you have had time to recover." She turned her gaze onto Crookedstar. "I'm sure that Crookedstar will agree to show you the same respect."

Crookedstar narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Only as long as ShadowClan is not scented in our territory," he growled.

Firesong relaxed, letting her fur lie flat on her shoulders. Now that she knew what it was like to fight in a real battle, she admired her leader's courage even more when she challenged these two great warriors. Muffled meows of relief and agreement sounded in the crowd as the tension on the Great Rock suddenly eased.

"You won't scent us, Crookedstar," the black tom meowed, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. "Bluestar was right- we don't need your fish. After all, we have the uplands to hunt in now that WindClan has left their territory."

Crookedstar looked at the other leader, his eyes brightening. "That's true," he agreed. "This will mean extra prey for all of us."

Bluestar drew her head up sharply. "No!" she hissed. "WindClan must return!"

The two toms looked at the ThunderClan leader in confusion. "Why?" Crookedstar asked.

"If we share WindClan's hunting grounds, it will mean more food for all of our kits!" Nightpelt pointed out.

"The forest needs four Clans," Bluestar insisted. "Just as we have the Fourtrees and four seasons, StarClan has given us four Clans. We must find WindClan as soon as possible and bring them home."

The ThunderClan cats raised their voices in support of their leader, but Crookedstar's impatient yowl rose above them. "Your argument is weak, Bluestar! Do we really need four seasons? Wouldn't you rather go without leaf-bare and the cold and hunger it brings?"

Bluestar looked calmly at the two leaders. "StarClan gave us leaf-bare to let the earth recover and prepare for newleaf. The forest and the uplands have supported four Clans for generations. It is not up to us to challenge StarClan."

Leopardfur, the RiverClan deputy, spoke up. "Why should we go hungry for the sake of a Clan that cannot even defend its own territory?"

"Bluestar is right! WindClan must return!" Tigerclaw spat back, drawing himself up so that he towered above the cats around him.

Bluestar spoke again, addressing the RiverClan leader. "Crookedstar, RiverClan's hunting grounds are known for their richness. You have the river and all the fish it contains. Why do you need extra prey?" Crookedstar looked away and didn't answer. Firesong noticed RiverClan murmuring anxiously among themselves. She wondered why Bluestar's question had ruffled their fur.

"And Nightpelt," she continued. "It was Brokenstar that drove WindClan out of their home." The blue-gray she-cat paused. "That is why ThunderClan helped you chase him out."

Firesong narrowed her eyes. She knew that Bluestar was gently reminding Nightpelt of the debt he owed ThunderClan.

The ShadowClan leader half-closed his eyes. After a silence that seemed like moons, Nightpelt opened his eyes fully and meowed, "Very well, Bluestar. We will allow WindClan to return." Firesong saw Crookedstar turn his head away in anger.

Bluestar nodded. "Two of us have agreed, Crookedstar. WindClan must be found and brought home. Until then, no Clan should hunt in their territory."

The Gathering began to break up as the cats prepared to go back to their camps. Firesong stayed where she was for a moment, watching the leaders on the Great Rock. She saw Bluestar touch noses with Crookedstar before she jumped down to the forest floor. On the rock, Crookedstar turned to Nightpelt. There was something about the look that passed between them that made Firesong's fur prickle. Could it be that Bluestar didn't truly have Nightpelt's support? Firesong looked around quickly. She could tell that Stonefur had noticed because his blue eyes were narrowed into icy slits as he stared up at the rock. The anger in Tigerclaw's eyes showed her that he, too, had not missed this exchange.

For once, Firesong shared the deputy's concern. This was a shift in Clan alliances that she had not expected. After the risk ThunderClan had taken by helping ShadowClan drive out Brokenstar, how could they side with RiverClan now?

"Come on," Graystripe grunted, nudging her towards the rest of the group. "We should leave."

She blinked in confusion at the look that passed between the two gray toms. _What in StarClan's name is their issue?_ She shrugged it off, though, padding after Bluestar as she led them home.

**LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE**

As soon as Bluestar had briefed the Clan on the meeting, Firesong retired to her nest, curling up in the soft moss.

One-eye and the other elders clearly disapproved of Nightpelt not having nine lives.

"No leader can speak for their Clan at a Gathering without receiving StarClan's approval first," the old pale gray she-cat had grumbled.

The rest of the Clan had also been outraged at the other two Clans wanting to hunt on WindClan's territory. Dappletail had said that some of the RiverClan elders spoke of Twolegs who had taken over part of the river. The Twolegs lived in shelters beside the river and disturbed the fish, according to Frostfur, who had also spoken with RiverClan cats.

Bluestar had looked thoughtful, clearly considering that. She then proceeded to tell Runningwind, Dustpelt, Willowpelt, and her apprentice, Stormpaw, to take the dawn patrol.

Firesong looked around the den, noticing how most cats were already in their nests by now. She must not have realized because she'd been too deep in thought, she decided.

"Are you worried about ShadowClan and RiverClan's possible alliance?" Stonefur murmured, settling into his nest.

"A little bit," the ginger she-cat admitted. "I just can't figure out why ShadowClan would do this. They owe us for helping them drive out Brokenstar!"

The big gray tom sighed. "ShadowClan… you can never trust them. They don't keep alliances, as you can see. Some say that they're as cold as the wind that blows in their territory. But… for now, don't worry about it. Just get some rest." He licked her between the ears before murmuring a quiet "goodnight."

She felt her pelt grow warm at the affectionate gesture. "Goodnight, Stonefur," she whispered, wondering what to think of his actions as of recently. Her eyes began to droop. _Just get some rest_, he'd said. _Yes… that sounds like a good idea_, she thought, drifting off.


	11. Chapter 10

**Thanks for all of the good reviews, guys! They make me happy. I considered making shorter chapters (therefore more updates quicker), but I feel like longer chapters are easier for me, so I'll stick with those. (Not that anyone asked, lol. -shot-)**

**All of your comments about Stone/Fire amuse me. It's like, "WHAT ABOMINATION HAVE YOU CREATED, JAY?" Idk, bro. Idk.**

**Anyway, this is a longer chapter that has another twist from the regular books at the end. Have fun!**

**~Watermellonfuzz**

Firesong trudged through WindClan territory with Graystripe at her side. Bluestar had asked them to go and find WindClan. More accurately, she told them to go and find WindClan.

"_Firesong, Graystripe, I have an important mission for you."_

_Firesong exchanged a confused glance with Graystripe. "A mission?" she echoed._

"_I want you to find WindClan and bring them back to their territory," the blue-gray she-cat announced._

"_Before you get too excited, bear in mind that this could be very dangerous," growled Tigerclaw. "We don't know where WindClan has gone, so you will have to follow what is left of their scent- probably into hostile territory."_

"_You've been through WindClan territory me when you travelled with me to the Moonstone," Bluestar pointed out. "Their scent will be familiar, as will the Twoleg territory beyond the uplands."_

"_Will it just be us?" asked Firesong._

"_Our other warriors are needed here," Tigerclaw responded. "Leaf-bare is coming, and we need to gather as much fresh-kill as possible. Many prey-poor moons lie ahead."_

_Bluestar nodded. "Tigerclaw will help you prepare for your journey. Good luck, you two."_

"Firesong!" Graystripe hissed suddenly. "I smell RiverClan!"

She whipped her head around to stare at him in shock. "What?"

"They're probably taking advantage of WindClan being gone while they can," he growled. "There's an empty badger set over here; let's hide."

She nodded, slipping into the hole. The two watched as Blackclaw, a cat Firesong had seen at the Gathering, launched himself at a rabbit, his claws unsheathed. He sat up with nothing to show for the chase, though. The rabbit had escaped to its warren.

"They're horrible rabbit hunters," Graystripe hissed scornfully as the patrol went away.

The two cats crept cautiously from the den. "We should check WindClan's camp," Firesong meowed. "It's the best place to pick up their scent."

"Alright," her gray-furred friend answered.

They moved silently through the heather, keeping their mouths slightly open in case the RiverClan warriors decided to come back. They stopped at the foot of a large, flat rock that sloped up steeply, past the tops of the gorse bushes.

"I'll climb up and have a better look around," Graystripe offered. "My pelt will blend in with the stone better than yours."

"Okay," she agreed. "Keep your head down, though."

Firesong watched as her friend crept up the rock. Graystripe crouched at the top, gazing around the plateau, before skidding back down to Fireheart. "There's a hollow over there," Graystripe puffed, signaling with his tail. "I can see a gap in the heather."

Excited, Firesong neared the hollow. She sniffed. There were many scents here; all WindClan, young and old, male and female, and in the background, the faint odor of fresh-kill that had become crowfood. This had to be the abandoned camp.

She plunged into the bushes, ignoring the gorse that tugged at her fur and scratched at her nose. She could hear Graystripe behind her, cursing as thorns snagged his ears. They pushed through into a sheltered clearing. The sandy ground had been trodden hard by generations of paws. At the end of the clearing stood a rock, worn smooth by many windblown moons.

"This is definitely their camp," Firesong murmured.

"I can't believe Brokenstar managed to drive WindClan out of such a well-protected place!" meowed Graystripe, rubbing his sore nose with a paw.

"It looks like they put up a good fight," Firesong pointed out, realizing with a jolt how badly ravaged the camp was. Clumps of fur littered the ground, and dried blood stained the sand. Mossy nests had been dragged out of dens and torn apart. And everywhere else, stale ShadowClan scents mingled with the smell of terrified WindClan cats.

Firesong shuddered. "Let's find the scent trail out of here," she meowed. She sniffed the air carefully ad moved forward, following the strongest scent. Graystripe padded after her to a narrow gap in the gorse.

"WindClan cats must be even smaller than I remember!" Graystripe grumbled as he squeezed through after Firesong.

Firesong glanced at her friend, amused for a moment. The scent trail was quite clear now- definitely WindClan, but mixed and pungent, as if made by many frightened cats. Firesong looked down. Drops of dried blood dotted the ground. "We're heading the right way," she murmured darkly. Two moons of rain and wind had failed to wash away the signs of suffering. Firesong could clearly picture the defeated and injured Clan fleeing their home. With a surge of anger, she bounded forwards.

**LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE**

They stopped at a Thunderpath as the sun was setting. It stretched ahead of the two cats, wide and foul-smelling, but silent. Firesong darted out. The ground beneath her paws felt cold and smooth. She didn't stop until she reached the other side.

The air here was tainted by the acrid smell of the Thunderpath and its horrible monsters, so Firesong headed toward the hedge nearby. _Still, no scent of WindClan cats,_ she thought dejectedly.

Suddenly a monster tore past, making Firesong leap into the air, terrified. She scrambled under the hedge and crouched, trembling, frantically wondering what to do next.

Then she smelled it. The scent was faint, but definitely there; WindClan had been here!

Firesong called loudly to Graystripe. There was a pause before the sound of paws pounding across the Thunderpath could be heard.

"Did you find it?" the gray tom puffed.

"Not sure; I got a whiff, but I can't pinpoint it," she explained, pushing her way through the hedge. She lifted her nose toward the open field ahead of them. "Have you any idea what's over there?"

"No, I shouldn't think any Clan cat has been this far before," Graystripe replied.

"Except WindClan," she muttered darkly. Away from the confusing fumes of the Thunderpath, the trail was suddenly clear. The two cats struck out through the long grass, straight across the field.

"Firesong!" Graystripe sounded alarmed.

"What is it?"

"Look!"

Firesong stopped and lifted her head. She saw a Thunderpath ahead of them, arching high into the air on massive stone legs.

"And smell this!" Graystripe nodded toward a tall thistle.

Firesong inhaled the scent. "Fresh WindClan scent!"

"They must've settled somewhere around here!" her friend murmured in disbelief.

A pang of excitement twisted Firesong's stomach. Both cats looked silently at each other for a moment. Then, without a word, they moved on toward the stinking Thunderpaths.

Graystripe was the first to break the silence. "Why would WindClan come to a place like this?"

"Not even Brokenstar would want to follow them here," she answered grimly. She stopped suddenly. A thought wouldn't quit nagging at her.

"What is it?"

"If WindClan is hiding so near the Thunderpaths," she began slowly, "they must be fairly desperate not to be found. They're more likely to trust us if we arrive in daylight than if we creep up on them in darkness."

Graystripe nodded in understanding. "So that means we can rest?"

"Just until it's light," she responded. "We'll find somewhere to hide and see if we can get some sleep." She paused. "Are you hungry?" Graystripe shook his head. "Me neither," she admitted. "I don't know if it's the herbs or the stench from the Thunderpath that is making me feel sick."

"Where should we sleep?" Graystripe looked around.

Firesong had already spotted a dark shadow up ahead. "What's that?"

"A burrow?" Graystripe sounded puzzled. "It's too big to be a rabbit's warren. Surely there can't be a badger set here!"

"Let's take a look," Firesong suggested.

The hole was larger than a badger set, smooth and lined with stone. Firesong sniffed it before putting her front paws on its rim, peering cautiously inside. The stone tunnel sloped away, down into the ground. "I can feel air flowing through it," she meowed, her voice echoing away into the shadows. "It must come up somewhere over there." She ducked back out and pointed her nose toward the tangle of Thunderpaths.

"Is it empty?" her friend asked, sniffing at it cautiously.

"Smells like it."

"Come on, then." Graystripe led the way into the tunnel. After a few fox-lengths, the slope leveled out.

Firesong halted and sniffed the damp air. She could smell nothing but the fumes of the Thunderpath. A roaring noise rumbled overhead. Firesong's paws trembled as the stone floor vibrated. Was the Thunderpath above them? She fluffed up her coat against the relentless draft and felt Graystripe's pelt brush against hers. Her friend was circling, preparing to settle down to sleep.

She settled down against the wall of the tunnel, tucking her nose under her tail, giving into the blackness.

When she opened her eyes again, gray light was glowing at the end of the tunnel. Dawn was probably near. Firesong's bones ached from the cold, hard ground. She nudged Graystripe, who mumbled something about it being morning to early.

"Almost," Firesong answered, getting to her paws. Graystripe stretched and stood up as well. "I think we should head that way. This tunnel, I think, leads right under a Thunderpath. It might take us nearer to the…" She trailed off, not knowing the words that could describe the tangle of Thunderpaths they'd seen. Beside her, Graystripe nodded, and they padded wordlessly into the darkness. She'd feel his pelt brush against hers occasionally, which made her begin to wonder if he did it on purpose. It was making her slightly uncomfortable, to be honest. _Why doesn't he make me feel the same thing as Stonefur does…?_

**LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE**

They entered another tunnel. They'd seen two cats come in here, so they decided that it was WindClan. They'd smelled the scent markers, after all; it had to be them. The damp air of the tunnel smelled rank and bitter- worse than the tunnels from earlier. The Thunderpath's fumes mingled with the fear-scent of the WindClan cats.

It was too dark to see anything, but after a few paces, Firesong's whiskers sensed a turning in the tunnel. Firesong flicked her tail, touching Graystripe lightly with its tip. She couldn't see her friend in the darkness, but he must've felt it, because he stopped beside her, and together the peered around the corner.

Ahead of them, the tunnel was lit by a narrow hole in the ceiling that led to the wasteland above. Firesong could see many cats huddled together in the gray light; warriors and elders, queens and kits, all pitifully thin. A cold breeze blew relentlessly through the hole in the roof, stirring the thin fur on the skinny bodies. Firesong shuddered, for the breeze carried to her the stench of sickness and crowfood.

The tunnel shook suddenly as a monster roared overhead. Graystripe and Firesong, already tensed, jumped, though the WindClan cats didn't react. They simply huddled with half-closed eyes, numb to their surroundings.

The noise died away. Firesong took a deep breath and stepped around the corner, out into the gray light.

A young gray tabby tom with white patches (probably an apprentice, Firesong decided), who didn't look nearly as thin as the rest of the cats, yowled an alarm to the rest of the Clan as he spun around. In a smooth movement, the WindClan warriors formed a line across the tunnel in front of the queens and elders, their backs arches, hissing fiercely.

With a feeling of dread, Firesong saw the glint of unsheathed claws and thorn-sharp fangs. These half-starved cats were about to attack. Firesong pressed her body against Graystripe's in a warning. They had to show no threat if they were to survive.

The WindClan warriors stood their ground without moving a muscle. _They're waiting for their leader's signal!_ Firesong realized. _Even though they live out here, they still follow the warrior code…_

From behind the line of warriors, a black-and-white tom weaved his way to the front. With a jolt, Firesong recognized the long-tailed cat. This must be Tallstar, leader of WindClan!

Tallstar sniffed the air, but Firesong and Graystripe were downwind, their scents carried away by the steady breeze. As the black-and-white cat neared them, Firesong breathed in the rank odor of crowfood that clung to his coat. Like Graystripe, she remained perfectly still her eyes down, as Tallstar circled them sniffing their fur closely.

Finally Tallstar returned to his warriors. Firesong heard him murmur, "ThunderClan." The warriors flattened their fur, but remained in a defensive line, shielding the rest of their cats. Tallstar turned to his visitors and sat down, curling his long tail carefully around his paws. "I was expecting ShadowClan," he growled, his amber eyes burning with hostility. "Why are you here?"

"We came to find you," Firesong meowed strongly, refusing to give in to the tension. "Bluestar and the other Clan leaders want you to return to your home."

The WindClan leader's voice was still wary. "That land is not safe for my Clan anymore," he meowed. There was a haunted look in Tallstar's eyes that sent a pang of sorrow through her.

"ShadowClan has driven out Brokenstar," she murmured. "He is no longer a threat."

The warriors behind Tallstar turned and looked at one another, murmurs of surprise ripping among the ranks of the Clan.

"You must return as soon as possible," she urged. "ShadowClan and RiverClan are starting to hunt in the uplands. We saw a RiverClan hunting patrol near the old badger set while we were on our way here!"

Tallstar bristled angrily.

"They're poor rabbit hunter, though," Graystripe added. "I think they went home with empty bellies."

Tallstar and his warriors purred with satisfaction. Their good spirits encouraged Firesong, but she could see how weak they were. She looked around the cats, noticing a ginger tabby tom with black ears and the gray and white tom from earlier. _They look much more fit,_ she mused. _Less hungry._

"May we travel with you?" she suggested respectfully.

Tallstar's eyes flashed. He knew the question was a tactful offer of help. He looked at her steadily. "Yes," he replied at last. "Thank you."

Firesong realized that she hadn't introduced herself yet. "This is Graystripe," she mewed, dipping her head. "And I am Firesong. We are warriors of ThunderClan."

"Firesong," repeated Tallstar thoughtfully. Sunlight was flooding through the roof, making Firesong's orange pelt glow in the dim tunnel. "The name suits you."

Another monster roared overhead, making Firesong and Graystripe flinch. Tallstar watched them with something like amusement in his eyes and flicked his tail. It must've been a signal, for the line of warriors behind him split up. "We shall leave at once," he announced, standing up.

"Are we all fit for the journey?" Tallstar asked as his warriors began to move among the queens and elders.

"All except Morningflower's kit," a mottled brown tom replied. "He's too young."

"We will take turns carrying him, then," answered Tallstar.

The WindClan cats shuffled forward, their eyes dull with pain and exhaustion. A tortoiseshell queen was holding a tiny kit gently by the scruff of its neck. The little creature's eyes were hardly open.

"Ready?" Tallstar called.

A black tom with a misshapen paw looked around the Clan and answered for them. "Ready."

**LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE (I'M SORRY I'M SKIPPING SO MUCH. I JUST LIKE GETTING IT OVER WITH.)**

It'd been difficult to get the WindClan cats across the Thunderpath, even though they'd put them in groups, each with a stronger, more fit warrior with them. They'd stumbled, and a couple had just barely made it.

She'd made friends with Onewhisker, a young warrior, along the way. She'd carried Morningflower's kit, Gorsekit, for a while, but his mother had taken him back as soon as she'd regained enough strength. Morningflower had been grateful, murmuring quiet words of appreciation to her.

"Tallstar," Firesong called. "Perhaps we should stop soon and shelter for the night?"

The WindClan leader stopped and waited for Firesong to catch up. "I agree," he meowed. "There's a ditch here; we can shelter there until sunrise."

Graystripe exchanged a look with Firesong before answering, "We might be better sheltering in the hedgerow. There are rats in these ditches."

Tallstar nodded. "Very well." He turned to his Clan, announcing that they would be spending the night here. Right before the cats could flop down, Firesong raised her voice.

"Wait! If you can manage to go a little bit further… there's a barn up ahead. We know a cat, a loner, I'll admit, who lives there. There's plenty of mice there for us to eat."

Tallstar narrowed his eyes, considering it. He turned to his Clan to see what they thought.

The elders and queens looked like they had half a mind to reject the idea, but they nodded their consent. The rest of the Clan agreed easily.

"Alright," the black-and-white tom answered. "Lead us there."

It took a few minutes to get everyone there, but as soon as she reached the barn, she poked her head in. "Barley?" she called.

She heard the rustling of the hay, signaling the tom's arrival. The tom shook the hay out of his fur, looking at her curiously. "Firepaw? Graypaw?"

She nodded. "Firesong and Graystripe now- Bluestar made us warriors. But we could use your help right now… can you allow WindClan to stay here for the night?"

He looked surprised. "What? Why?"

"They were driven out a couple moons ago by ShadowClan- we've brought them back. They need food and shelter for the night. We'll live in the morning. Please, Barley?"

He hesitated before nodding. "Alright. There's plenty of space and plenty of mice, so I suppose that's fine."

Moments later, she had the WindClan cats filing in. The queens (which consisted of Ashfoot and Morningflower) and their kits (they each only had one), and the elders flopped down immediately onto the hay. The apprentices and warriors started to look for mice, eager for good hunting.

Soon, every cat had their fill. They lay on the hay, purring. Firesong soon found herself falling asleep. She closed her eyes tiredly, grateful for the warm bedding and a full belly.

**LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE**

The next morning came quickly, it seemed, and the cats were once again on their way. Barkface had disturbed them all with an omen as they were just leaving: _The clouds are stained with blood! _He'd said._ This day shall bring an unnecessary death!_

They'd all been a little unnerved by that, but they quickly passed it off as nothing.

Soon, the WindClan cats were at their camp.

"My Clan is grateful to you," Tallstar meowed, his eyes shining as he watched his Clan file into their camp excitedly. "You have both proved you are warriors worthy of StarClan. WindClan has come home, and it is time for you to return to yours."

Firesong felt a pang of disappointment. She'd wanted to see Morningflower settle into the nursery with her kit, but… Tallstar was right. It was time for them to leave.

"There may be hostile hunting parties around, so Onewhisker and Deadfoot will escort you to the Fourtrees."

"Thank you, Tallstar," she murmured, bowing her head.

Tallstar called to his warriors, giving them his orders. Then he turned his tired eyes once again upon Firesong. "You have served WindClan well. Tell Bluestar that WindClan will not forget it was ThunderClan who brought them home."

Deadfoot padded away in the direction of the Fourtrees. Firesong and Graystripe walked after him with Onewhisker at their side. They stayed close together as they followed a narrow path through the solid mass of gorse that provided a good shelter against the rain.

Suddenly, Onewhisker stopped and sniffed the air, excitedly calling out, "Rabbit!" He charged away into the gorse. Deadfoot stopped and waited. Firesong could see a glint in the deputy's tired eyes. There was a rush of pawsteps in the distance and the rustle of gorse, then silence.

A moment later, Onewhisker returned with a large rabbit dangling from his jaws. Graystripe leaned towards Firesong. "A little better than RiverClan, eh?"

Firesong purred her agreement.

"Anyone hungry?" Onewhisker asked, dropping the fresh-kill on the ground.

They ate the rabbit gratefully. When she'd eaten her share, Firesong sat up and licked her lips. She felt refreshed by the meal, but a weary coldness was beginning to nag at her bones, and her paws felt sore. If she and Graystripe followed then route they'd come, past Fourtrees, they still had a long way to go. What if they took the shortcut through RiverClan's hunting grounds? After all, they were on a mission that had been agreed to, at the Gathering, at least, by all the Clans. Could RiverClan really object if they passed through their territory? It wasn't as if they were going to steal prey.

Firesong looked around at her companions and meowed tentatively, "You know, it'd be quicker if we followed the river."

Graystripe looked up from washing his paw. "But that would mean crossing through RiverClan territory."

"We could follow the gorge," Firesong explained. "RiverClan doesn't hunt there; it's too steep for them to get down to the river."

Graystripe rested a damp paw on the ground gently. "Even my claws ache," he murmured. "I wouldn't mind taking a shorter route." He turned his yellow eyes hopefully to the WindClan deputy.

Deadfoot looked thoughtful. "Tallstar ordered us to travel with you to the Fourtrees," he meowed.

"If you don't want to come with us, we'll understand," Firesong answered quickly. "We'll only be in RiverClan for a blink! I can't see us meeting any trouble."

Graystripe nodded, but Deadfoot shook his head. "We can't let you go into RiverClan territory alone. You're exhausted. If you did meet trouble, you're in no state to deal with it."

"We won't meet anyone!" Firesong had convinced herself, and she was determined to convince Deadfoot, too.

Deadfoot stared at her with wise old eyes. "If we did go that way," he mused, "it would let RiverClan know that WindClan is back."

Firesong pricked her ears in understanding. "They might not be so keen to hunt on your territory, then."

Onewhisker licked the last traces of fresh-kill from his lips and remarked, "It'll mean we'll be home before moonrise!"

"You just want to make sure you get a good nest in your den," Deadfoot retorted. His voice was stern, but there was a good-natured gleam in his eye.

"Then we're going through RiverClan territory?" Firesong asked hopefully.

"Yes," the black tom decided. He changed direction, leading the cats along an old badger trail that took them away from the barren uplands. Soon, they were in RiverClan territory. Even through the wind and rain, Firesong could hear the roaring of the river as it crashed and thundered somewhere up ahead.

The cats followed the trail towards the noise. The path shrank until it was a little more than a narrow strip of grass on the very edge of a deep gorge. On one side, the land was stretched upward, steep and rocky. On the other, it plunged straight down. Firesong could see the far side of the gorge only a few fox-lengths away. The space looked tantalizingly narrow, and Firesong wondered if she could leap the gap. Perhaps… if she wasn't so tired and hungry… Her paws prickled with fear at the thought of falling, but she couldn't resist peering over the side.

Beneath her paws, the ground dropped away in a sheer cliff. Ferns clung to tiny ledges, their leaves glistening, not from rain, but from the spray of the swollen torrent that foamed at the bottom of the gorge.

Firesong pulled back from the edge, the fur along her spine bristling with fear. Ahead of her, Deadfoot, Onewhisker, and Graystripe plodded steadily onward, their heads down. They would have to follow this path until they could cut away from it, through the small strip of forest that stood between them and ThunderClan territory.

Firesong stumbled as she hurried to catch up. Deadfoot's ears were pricked and his tail flattened so that it almost dragged along the ground. Onewhisker was clearly nervous, too; he kept looking up sharply at the slope behind them as if he could hear something. Firesong could hear nothing but the roaring of the river, but she glanced over her shoulder anyway, her eyes darting from side to side, scanning the area. _Their wariness must be making me nervous, _she decided.

The steep slope began to flatten out until they could move farther away from the edge of the cliff. The rain was still driving into their faces, and the darkening sky told Firesong that the sun was setting. It wouldn't be long until they reached the forest, though, so that was good. There would be more shelter there. The thought of food and a dry nest made her more at ease.

Suddenly a warning yowl rumbled in Deadfoot's throat. Firesong stiffened and tasted the air. A RiverClan patrol! A screech sounded form behind them, and the cats spun around to see six RiverClan warriors charging towards them. The deep gorge with its raging waters was still dangerously close.

A dark brown RiverClan warrior landed on top of her. Firesong rolled away from the gorge, kicking furiously with her back legs. She felt teeth bite into her shoulders and struggled underneath the greater weight of the hissing warrior. She scrabbled desperately on the sodden ground, trying to free herself. The RiverClan warrior raked her side with sharp claws. In retaliation, Firesong twisted and bit down on her attacker. She clamped her jaws tight and head the warrior's yowl. The other cat's claws only raked her more fiercely. "This will be the last time you set foot in RiverClan territory!" hissed the brown tom.

Around her, Firesong was aware of her companions struggling fiercely. She knew that they were just as exhausted as she was from the long trek. She could hear Graystripe yowling violently. Onewhisker hissing with pain and rage. Then, from the forest behind them, another sound reached her ears. It was full of fury, and yet it filled her with hope; it was Tigerclaw's war cry. Firesong smelled the fast-approaching battle-scent of a ThunderClan patrol; Tigerclaw, Stonefur, Willowpelt, Whitestorm, Sandstorm, and Stormpaw.

Yowling and spitting, the ThunderClan cats leaped into the fray. The brown tom released Firesong and she quickly struggled to her paws. She watched as Tigerclaw pinned a gray tabby tom to the ground, baring his teeth and giving him a warning bite. The tom ran screeching away into the bushes. Tigerclaw whipped around, fixing his pale eyes on Leopardfur. The mottled deputy was wrestling with Deadfoot. The lame warrior was no match for the ferocious she-cat. Firesong prepared to leap at the she-cat, but Tigerclaw beat her to it. He dived forward, grasping Leopardfur's wide shoulders. With a mighty yowl, he hauled her off the scrawny WindClan deputy.

Suddenly, a dark gray tabby tom dragged her backwards, away from the fighting deputies. He snarled at her, raking her with vicious thorn-sharp claws. She shrieked in pain, throwing him, with great difficulty, off of her. He skidded towards the edge of the gorge, slipping off. She dove forward, digging her claws into the ground as she reached the edge, grasping his scruff, attempting to pull him up. He struggled, clearly trying to get a hold of the edge of the cliff. His struggling made it difficult for her to hold on; she, too, was beginning to slip off.

With a final heave, she attempted to get him onto solid ground. She failed, though; he slipped from her grasp, falling down into the gorge. She yowled in agony. _No! No, no, no!_

Everything went silent. The ThunderClan, RiverClan, and WindClan cats stopped fighting, turning to stare at her. Leopardfur was the one who broke the silence.

"No! Whiteclaw!"

**Sorry, stopping it there. I need to stop typing xD**

**Songs listened to for this chapter:**

**Lovers & Liars- Nothing Left Here to Burn  
Within Temptation- A Dangerous Mind  
Hollywood Undead- Paradise Lost  
Broken Iris- Where Butterflies Never Die  
Breathe Carolina- Chemical  
Breathe Carolina- Last Night**


	12. Chapter 11

**FIRST OF ALL:  
Whoever I told that this would be up last weekend, you have my sincerest apologies asdfghjkl I ended up being busy, and I had nine weeks test this week (well, Tuesday and Wednesday, anyway) and I've been lazy recently… so I decided to finish this up. So, really- I'm sorry!**

**Anyway: don't you just love my endings for chapters? I do. –shot- No jk. But really. …I just had a sudden urge to make Firesong accidentally kill Whiteclaw instead of Graystripe. PLOT-TASTICAL. …yeah, you hardly had to wait for this chapter, but who cares. I'm getting stuff done for once. **

**And yeah- I'm getting pretty obvious with this whole Stone/Fire/Gray thing. Most of you already know the couple I'm going to use, but the one who doesn't get her WILL move on eventually, I promise. I'm not cruel enough to leave the losing tom alone.**

**~Watermellonfuzz**

Firesong scrambled backwards, away from the gorge, staring in horror at the edge. "I… I tried… he was too heavy… I didn't…" The words tumbled out of her mouth breathlessly. Graystripe was staring at her with a horrified look on his face. Stonefur shot a venomous glare at the tom before moving towards Firesong, murmuring soothing words to her.

_He's dead._

"It's not your fault, Firesong," Stonefur whispered gently.

_Don't lie to me. It's my fault. Even Leopardfur knows it._

She stared blankly at the gorge, too horrified to voice her thoughts. The RiverClan cats' eyes were filled with fury as they stared at her, she noted, turning her head to look at them.

_They're right to be furious… my fault… all my fault…_

Willowpelt and Sandstorm moved towards Firesong as well. Sandstorm took up a place at the side that Stonefur wasn't occupying, while Willowpelt stood protectively in front of them.

Leopardfur growled deep in her throat, but it was a warning to her own cats. They were to stay back. The RiverClan deputy stared Tigerclaw straight in the eye. "This has gone beyond a border fight," she murmured. "We shall return to our own Clan. It has become a matter to settle at another time in a different way."

Tigerclaw defiantly returned the mottled she-cat's stare. He showed no fear, but merely gave the smallest of nodes. Leopardfur flicked the tip of her tail, the turned and padded away. The RiverClan cats followed her, and the whole patrol disappeared into the bushes.

Firesong was vaguely aware of Deadfoot limping forward to say that they were leaving and how she and Graystripe had served WindClan well. The formal words sounded hollow after the tragedy that had been witnessed. Tigerclaw nodded, and the two WindClan cats started back to their own territory.

Tigerclaw shoved her forwards, though it wasn't nearly as rough as it normally would've been. "Come on!" he growled.

She followed the patrol numbly. She could still see Whiteclaw falling down that gorge in her mind's eye. _My fault… my fault…_

The moment they padded through the camp's barrier, they were barraged with questions, purrs, and tails held high in welcome.

"Did you find WindClan? Are they safe?" Mousefur called from her place in front of the nursery.

Firesong stared at her, her eyes dull and unseeing. Tigerclaw once again shoved her, but this time to Bluestar's den. She heard Stonefur snap at him for being too rough, but paid no mind. With her head and tail down, she entered Bluestar's den with Tigerclaw and Graystripe. Stonefur seemed unwilling to let Firesong go in with only those two (he was muttering something about Graystripe being an unreliable friend), so he went in with them.

A warm mew from Bluestar welcomed them as they sat down. "Welcome!" she purred, leaping to her paws. "Did you find WindClan? Did you bring them back?"

"Yes, Bluestar," Graystripe meowed hoarsely. "They're safe in their camp. Tallstar told us to thank you."

"Good, good," she answered. Noticing the grim look on Tigerclaw's face, the look of horror on Graystripe's, the worry on Stonefur's, and the blank expression on Firesong, she asked, "What has happened?"

"Firesong decided to go through RiverClan territory on the way back," Tigerclaw growled.

Graystripe bristled. "It wasn't just Firesong who decided-"

Tigerclaw interrupted him. "They were found by a RiverClan patrol. If my patrol hadn't heard their yelps in time, they wouldn't have made it home after all."

Bluestar visibly relaxed. "Thank you, Tigerclaw, for rescuing them."

"It isn't that simple," he snorted. "They were fighting beside the gorge. Firesong let a warrior she was fighting fall over the edge."

Firesong flinched, flattening her ears. _My fault… all my fault…_ The words kept repeating in her mind. She didn't have the heart to stop them.

Bluestar's eyes widened. "Dead?" she whispered, looking horrified.

Stonefur spoke up this time. "It was an accident! Firesong would never do something like that on purpose! She tried to save him!"

"I doubt Leopardfur sees it that way," Tigerclaw growled, turning to Firesong. "What were you _thinking_? Travelling through _RiverClan_ territory with _WindClan _cats! You've sent a message that we are their allies, which will only drive RiverClan and ShadowClan even closer together!"

"WindClan was with you on RiverClan territory?" Bluestar looked even more alarmed.

"Just two warriors," Graystripe interjected quickly. "Tallstar gave us an escort home, and we were tired…"

"You should _not_ have been on RiverClan territory!" Tigerclaw snarled. "_Especially_ with WindClan cats!"

"It wasn't an alliance! They were escorting us home!" Graystripe argued.

"Does _RiverClan_ know that?" spat Tigerclaw.

"RiverClan knew that we were going to find WindClan and bring them back! They agreed to it at the Gathering. They shouldn't have attacked us- it was a special mission, like the journey to the Highstones!"

"They didn't agree to let you travel through their territory!" The dark tabby warrior looked livid by now.

Bluestar stood up, her eyes flashing as she looked around at the four cats, though her voice was calm. "You should not have entered the RiverClan hunting grounds. It was both dangerous and foolish." She looked sternly from Graystripe to Firesong. Firesong heard her, lifting her eyes from her paws to her leader's calm blue stare.

_Does she blame me?_

Bluestar seemed to notice the question in her eyes and meowed gently, "I don't blame you for what happened, Firesong. The gorge is not a good place for a fight. It's too risky. Anyone could've fallen off of that." When Firesong gave a small nod, she continued. "At the same time, you did well to find WindClan and bring them back. We will, however, need to prepare for an attack from RiverClan. It may not happen, but it won't hurt to be cautious. We need to start training more warriors."

"Mistyfoot's kits and two of Frostfur's are ready to be apprentice. You two will be given one of Frostfur's kits."

Firesong blinked in surprise, pushing aside her feelings about the fight at the gorge. "None of Frostfur's kits are six moons old yet!"

"It won't be long before they are. The divisions at the last Gathering troubled me, and because of today…" Bluestar's voice trailed off, and Firesong looked at her paws.

Tigerclaw was staring at Bluestar with narrow amber eyes. "Wouldn't it be better to give apprentices to more experienced warriors, such as Longtail or Darkstripe?" he asked. "These two are hardly more than apprentices themselves!"

"I considered that," Bluestar answered. "Longtail, however, will be too busy with Swiftpaw. I want to give the younger warriors this experience. However, I did decide to give Runningwind one of Mistyfoot's kits; it would be unwise to let only the new warriors mentor apprentices."

Tigerclaw nodded his agreement reluctantly.

"Don't forget what they've done for us, Tigerclaw," Bluestar meowed, narrowing her eyes. "They brought WindClan home and helped drive out Brokenstar." She turned to Firesong and Graystripe. "Get something to eat," the blue-gray leader ordered. "We'll have the naming ceremony at moonhigh."

Tigerclaw stayed with Bluestar, watching as the three other cats left the den. Graystripe glanced at Firesong, nudging her gently. "I'm starving. Are you going to come and get something to eat?"

Firesong hesitated. She was a little hungry, but… "Alright," she meowed finally. She licked Stonefur's cheek as a thank you for supporting her about the gorge fight before padding after Graystripe. She picked a mouse off of the top of the pile- not too big, though- and settled down to eat. It tasted bland to her, but she figured it was just because of what had happened. After she finished, she and Graystripe went to their nests. She washed herself quickly before settling down in the familiar warmth of her nest.

**LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE**

Willowpelt woke Firesong with a gentle prod with one pale gray paw. "Time for the ceremony," she whispered.

Firesong lifted her head tiredly. "Thanks, Willowpelt," she mewed as the older she-cat ducked out of the den.

She nudged Graystripe, hissing, "Ceremony," and left the den. When she emerged from the den, the rain had stopped. In silence, Firesong padded towards Runningwind. Beside the brown tabby were Dustpelt and Ravenfeather, who she assumed were also getting apprentices. They were soon joined by Graystripe.

Firesong saw Frostfur with a kit on both sides of her. She recognized the kits as the ones she'd helped save from Brokenstar. The white queen twisted head and licked behind their ears. The little gray she-cat shook her head impatiently as her mother fussed over her.

Two of Mistyfoot's she-kits were bouncing with excitement. The other, a pale gray she-cat with a dappled pelt, was more calm, eyeing the warriors at the base of the Highrock with interest, as though wondering which would be her mentor.

Firesong, putting the gorge scene in the very back of her mind, grew excited. Bluestar had just gone to the top of the Highrock.

"This moonhigh, we gather for the naming of five new apprentices. Come forward," she meowed, beckoning the kits forward with her tail.

Frostfur's gray she-kit and Mistyfoot's two kits bounded forward excitedly. The golden-brown tabby tom and the dappled gray she-kit came forward more slowly. Firesong decided that the golden-brown tabby and the dappled kit would be easier to mentor. Which of Frostfur's kits would she be given?

"From this day forward, until they earn their warrior names, these kits shall be known as Cinderpaw, Brackenpaw, Leafpaw, Moonpaw, and Dapplepaw."

"Cinderpaw!" the gray she-cat couldn't help but mew her new name out loud for the first time. Frostfur hissed at her to be quiet, and Cinderpaw ducked her head apologetically.

"Firesong," Bluestar announced, "you are ready for your first apprentice. You will begin Cinderpaw's training." Firesong felt pride make her heart swell. "You were fortunate enough to have more than one mentor. I expect everything that I, Tigerclaw, and our lost friend Lionheart, to be passed onto this young apprentice." Bluestar's words carried a weight of responsibility that she wasn't sure she could handle.

_I will do it, though,_ she promised. _I'll make Cinderpaw into an amazing warrior._

"Graystripe, you will mentor young Brackenpaw." The golden-brown tabby tom didn't move, nor did he make a sound. "Lionheart was your mentor, Graystripe. His skill and wisdom was passed onto you, and therefore will be passed down to Brackenpaw."

"Dustpelt," she addressed the brown tabby tom. "You shall be Dapplepaw's mentor. Redtail was your mentor throughout most of your apprenticeship, and after that, Stonefur was your mentor. I know that you will pass valuable skills onto Dapplepaw."

Dapplepaw, the gray she-cat, tried to conceal her excitement, though it shone clearly in her eyes.

"Ravenfeather, Tigerclaw was your mentor. He taught you everything he knew about battle, and I know that you will pass this knowledge onto young Moonpaw."

Moonpaw was a silver-and-white tabby she-cat. Her blue eyes sparkled with excitement and her tail waved in the air, pleased by her leader's choice for her mentor.

"And finally, Runningwind." The brown tabby raised his chin, staring at his leader. "Leafpaw will be your apprentice. I know that you will pass on your hunting skills to her."

The cats moved forward to touch noses with the cat they were each assigned to. Cinderpaw jerked her head up and their noses collided painfully. Cinderpaw touched her nose again, this time less awkwardly, but Firesong's eyes were already beginning to water. She could see that Cinderpaw was trying to stop her whiskers from twitching with amusement, and a flush of embarrassment came over here.

Firesong looked around to see the rest of the Clan nodding approvingly. When she met Tigerclaw's gaze, the deputy's amber eyes seemed to be mocking her.

The ginger she-cat hastily looked down at Cinderpaw, who was staring at her with undisguised pride. Firesong's fur began to prickle. She wanted to be a great warrior and a great mentor more than anything else, but it was clear to her that Tigerclaw was just waiting for her to fail.

**LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE**

The next morning, Firesong slipped out of the warriors' den and poked her head into the apprentices' den. "Cinderpaw!" Almost as soon as she called her apprentice's name, the fluffy gray she-cat bounced out of the den.

"Firesong! What are we going to do today?" she mewed immediately, her tail waving in the air.

"Well, I thought we'd go on a tour of ThunderClan's territory."

"Will we see the Thunderpath?" Her eyes were glittering with excitement.

"Er, yes," she admitted, wondering what the new apprentice would think of it when she saw what a dirty and stinking place it was. She paused for a moment before asking, "Are you hungry?"

"No!" Cinderpaw shook her head.

"Alright, we can eat later, then. Follow me," she meowed, padding towards the entrance of camp.

"Wait, Firesong!"

Said ginger she-cat turned in confusion to see Ravenfeather and Moonpaw hurrying after them. "What is it, Ravenfeather?"

"Is it okay if we tag along?" the black tom asked hopefully. "I just figured it'd be good for all of us; after all, we trained together. It wouldn't do any harm to let these two do the same."

Firesong nodded in understanding. "Okay. It would be nice to have some other cats with us, anyway."

The four padded out of the camp entrance. As soon as they emerged, Cinderpaw broke away from them with Moonpaw on her heels. The two were scrambling up the ravine.

"Cinderpaw!" she called, bounding after her gray-furred apprentice. "I said _follow_ me!"

"But I want to see the view from the top!" Cinderpaw protested. "So does Moonpaw!"

Firesong snorted and leaped after her. She overtook her apprentice easily, climbed to the top, and sat by Ravenfeather as the two new apprentices scrambled from rock to rock. They were panting when they reached the top, but no less enthusiastic. "Look at the trees! They look like they're made from moonstone," Moonpaw breathed.

Firesong and Ravenfeather looked over at the trees. She was right. The trees below them sparkled white in the sunshine. Firesong took a breath of cold air. "You two should try to save your energy. We have a long way to go," she warned.

Cinderpaw nodded, kneading the ground impatiently with her paws. "Of course. Okay. Which way now?"

"Follow me," meowed Firesong. Narrowing her eyes playfully, she added, "And this time I really do mean follow!" She led the way to a trail along the edge of the ravine, into the sandy hollow where she learned to hunt and fight.

"This is where most of the training sessions will be held," Ravenfeather meowed. During greenleaf, the trees that circled the clearing filtered the sunshine into a warm dappled light. Now cold daylight streamed down onto the frozen red earth.

"A river ran here many moons ago. A stream still flows beyond the rise there," Firesong meowed, pointing with her muzzle. "It's dry most of the summer, though. That's where I caught my first prey."

"What did you catch?" Cinderpaw didn't wait for an answer, though. "Will the stream be frozen? Let's see if there's ice!" She charge down the hollow and headed towards the rise, Moonpaw at her heels.

"You'll see it another time!" Firesong called. Cinderpaw kept running, though, so Firesong sighed and raced after her, Ravenfeather at her side. The two warriors stopped beside their apprentices, and together they looked down at the stream. Ice had formed at the edges, but the speed of the water as it slid over its sandy bed had stopped it from freezing over completely.

"You wouldn't catch much here now," mewed Cinderpaw, tilting her head thoughtfully. "Except fish, maybe."

The sight of the spot where she'd caught her first prey filled Firesong with happy memories. She watched as Cinderpaw craned her neck to peer into the black water. "If I were you, I'd leave fishing to RiverClan," she warned her apprentice. "If they like getting their fur wet, then let them. I prefer dry paws."

Moonpaw padded restlessly around in a circle. "What now?"

Their excitement, along with her own apprentice memories, filled the ginger she-cat with energy. She cast a glance at Ravenfeather, who shrugged his shoulders. With a nod, she bounded away, calling over her shoulders, "The Owl Tree!" The other three cats bounded after her.

When they reached the massive oak, Cinderpaw tipped her head back, looking for the top. "Does an owl really live here?"

"Yes," Firesong answered. "Can you see the hole in the trunk up there?"

Cinderpaw narrowed her eyes to peer through the branches and nodded.

"How do you know it's not a squirrel hole?" Moonpaw asked.

"Smell!" Firesong told her.

The silver-and-white apprentice sniffed the air loudly. She glanced at the two warriors, her blue eyes curious as she looked at them.

"I'll show you what squirrels smell like another time," Ravenfeather promised. "You won't smell any around here, anyway. No squirrel would dare make its nest so near an owl hole. Look at the ground and tell me what you see."

Moonpaw switched her attention to the ground, looking confused. Cinderpaw looked equally puzzled. "Leaves?" the gray she-cat asked.

"Try burrowing under the leaves," Firesong suggested.

The forest floor was carpeted with brown oak leaves, crisp with frost. The two she-cats began snuffling among them. They stuck their noses in right up to their ears. When they sat up, something similar to the size and shape of a pinecone was in Cinderpaw's mouth. "Yuck!" she spat. "It smells like crowfood!" Firesong and Ravenfeather purred in amusement.

"You knew it was there, didn't you?" Cinderpaw's glare was accusing.

"Bluestar played the same trick on me when I was an apprentice," Firesong explained. "You'll never forget the stench."

"What is it?" Moonpaw asked, cautiously sniffing the strange object. She recoiled almost immediately.

"An owl pod," Ravenfeather answered, watching his apprentice in amusement. "Owls eat the same prey that we do, but they can't digest the bones and fur, so their bellies roll the leftovers into pods and spit them out. If you find one of those under a tree, it means you've found an owl."

"Why would you want to find an owl?" Cinderpaw squeaked. Firesong's whiskers twitched as she looked into her wife blue eyes, just as blue as her mother's. Frostfur must've told her the tale of how owls carried off young kits who strayed from their mother's side.

"Owls get a better view of the forest than we do. On windy nights, when scents are hard to follow, you can look out for owls and follow where they hunt." Cinderpaw's eyes were still wide, but the fear had left them, and she nodded. "The second leader of ThunderClan, Owlstar, was said to have learned how owls hunted by following them at night. He was ThunderClan's greatest hunter during his time."

Moonpaw sat up straight. "I'm going to be even better than him at hunting!" she announced.

Cinderpaw snorted. "Don't be silly- _I'll_ be the best hunter."

Moonpaw looked like she was going to snap a playful retort, but Firesong broke into the conversation first. "Come on, let's keep going."

The Great Sycamore was next. When they reached it, the two young cats stared up at the tree with wide eyes. "It's huge!" Cinderpaw gasped.

"Smallear says he climbed to the top branch when he was an apprentice," Ravenfeather meowed.

"No way!" Cinderpaw meowed, staring at him disbelievingly.

"Mind you, this tree was probably only a sapling when Smallear was an apprentice!" Firesong joked. She was still gazing up when a rustling sound told her that Cinderpaw and Moonpaw had bounded away again. She sighed, chasing after them through the bracken. She detected a familiar scent that made her nervous. The two apprentices were heading towards the Snakerocks.

Cinderpaw was standing on a boulder at the bottom of the steep, rocky slope, meowing to Moonpaw in excitement, "Come on; I'll race you to the top!"

Firesong felt Ravenfeather stiffen next to her. The ginger she-cat stared, horror-struck, as their apprentices prepared to spring to the next boulder.

"Cinderpaw! Moonpaw!" Ravenfeather yowled. "Get down from there!"

The two apprentices scrambled down, racing back over to them. Cinderpaw was trembling, her fur standing on end.

"This place is called the Snakerocks," Firesong growled to her.

Cinderpaw looked up at her mentor, her eyes huge. "Snakerocks?"

"Adders live up there. A bite from one of those would kill a cat as small as you!" she explained, giving the young she-cat a quick lick on top of her head. "Come on, let's take a look at the Thunderpath."

Cinderpaw stopped shaking at once, and Moonpaw pricked her ears. "The Thunderpath?" Ravenfeather's apprentice meowed.

"Yep," Firesong answered. "Follow me!" She led them through the ferns, along a trail that skirted Snakerocks and took them to the part of the forest where the Thunderpath cut through like a hard, gray river of stone.

Firesong kept one eye on Cinderpaw as they peered out from the edge of the forest. She could see from her twitching tail that Cinderpaw was desperate to creep forward and sniff the path ahead of them. A familiar roar was beginning to ruffle her ear fur, and she could feel the ground trembling beneath her paws. "Stay where you are," she warned. "There's a monster coming."

Cinderpaw opened her mouth a little. "Yuck!" she meowed, scrunching up her nose and flattening her ears. The rumbling noise was coming closer, and a shape appeared on the horizon. "Is that a monster?" the gray she-cat asked. Firesong nodded.

Cinderpaw unsheathed her claws to grip the earth and pressed close to Moonpaw as the monster roared closer. She shut her eyes tight as it charged past, stirring the air around them into a storm of wind and thunder. She kept her eyes shut until the noise faded into the distance.

"Sniff the air," Firesong ordered as soon as the scent had left her nose. "Can you smell anything other than the stench of the Thunderpath?"

Moonpaw lifted her head, sniffing curiously. "It's familiar," she meowed. Her expression told her that she wasn't sure what the scent was, though.

Cinderpaw glanced at her mentor. "I remember that scent from when Brokenstar attacked our camp and when he took me, Brackenpaw, Thornkit, and Brightkit. It's ShadowClan! Is that their territory, beyond the Thunderpath?"

"Yes." Ravenfeather answered this time. He clearly felt uncomfortable being so close to hostile territory. "We'd better get out of here."

The two decided to take their apprentices the long way home past the Twolegplace so their apprentices could see the Tallpines and Treecut place.

As they padded beneath the thin pine trees, the scents of Twolegplace made Firesong a little uneasy, despite having lived there as a kit. "Stay alert," she warned the apprentices. "Twolegs sometimes walk here with dogs."

The four cats crouched underneath the trees to look at the fences that bordered the Twoleg territory. The crisp air carried a scent to Firesong that stirred an odd feeling of warmth inside her, but she couldn't figure out why.

"Look!" Cinderpaw whispered, pointing with her nose to a she-cat padding across the forest floor. The light brown tabby had a distinctive white chest and white front paws. Her belly was swollen with unborn kits.

"Kittypet!" Moonpaw sneered, fluffing out her fur. "Let's chase her out!"

Firesong expected the familiar rush of aggression at the sight of a stranger on ThunderClan territory, but her hackles stayed flat. For some reason, she couldn't bring herself to attack this cat. Something in her heart just told her that this cat wasn't a threat. Before the two apprentices could attack, Firesong deliberately brushed against a stalk of crunchy bracken.

The she-cat looked up, disturbed by the crackling noise. Her green eyes (Firesong found those green eyes familiar for a reason she couldn't explain) widened with alarm. She whipped around and set off with a lumbering pace, out of the trees. Within moments, she was heaving herself over one of the Twoleg fences.

"Mouse-dung!" Moonpaw complained, lashing her tail. "I wanted to chase her! I bet Dapplepaw and Leafpaw will have chased hundreds of things today!"

Ravenfeather snorted. "Yeah, but they probably didn't nearly get bitten by an adder! Now come on; I'm getting hungry. Let's get back to camp."

When they arrived back at camp, Firesong was exhausted. Her muscles were still weary from the long journey with WindClan. Ravenfeather, Cinderpaw, and Moonpaw looked tired, too. Cinderpaw yawned and padded away to find Brackenpaw.

Firesong spotted Sandstorm beckoning to her from beside the nettle clump.

"I got you some fresh-kill," the pale ginger tabby meowed, nosing a mouse to her. The she-cat looked a little down.

As she settled down beside her friend and took a bite out of the mouse, she asked, "What's wrong?"

"Everyone has an apprentice but me!"

"Bluestar will give you one soon," Firesong assured her. "She might give you Thornkit or Brightkit when they reach six moons. Brindleface's kits are pretty young, so it'll be a few moons… if that doesn't work out, she'll definitely give you one of Mousefur's kits."

Sandstorm sighed, finishing the finch she was eating. "I guess."

The two she-cats shared tongues until the moon rose and the coldness of the night drove them into their den. Sandstorm was asleep within moments, but Firesong felt strangely awake. The image of the pregnant she-cat from earlier was haunting her mind, and even though she was surrounded by the familiar smells of ThunderClan, the tabby's soft kittypet scent lingered in her nose.

She fell asleep at last, but her dreams all carried the same scent, until she finally dreamed of her days as a kit. She remembered lying beside her mother's belly, curled in a bed softer than any forest moss with her two brothers and sister. Still, the scent of the she-cat lingered.

Firesong opened her eyes, suddenly jolted out of her dream. _Of course! That she-cat's my sister!_

**Here, let me stop there because I don't think I can type anymore tonight OTL**


	13. Chapter 12

**Someone asked if I was going to do the other series (New Prophecy, Power of Three, Omen of the Stars) in their review, and this is the answer: Yes, I am planning on it. The New Prophecy, like the actual books, will feature Firesong's kits. I might do other POVs in that, other than her kits', but I haven't decided yet. I haven't planned much for NP, PoT, and OotS. It depends on how this fanfic goes and if I really want to continue. However, this fanfic still has four books to go through after this one (we're currently in Fire and Ice, if you didn't know for some reason). So look forward to bajillions of chapters, kay?**

**Also: Thank you for all of the positive feedback, oh my gosh. You guys make me so happy.**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**~Watermellonfuzz**

A few days later, Firesong woke again at dawn with the image of her sister haunting her again. She pushed her way out of the den, hoping that the routine of the day would distract her. Willowpelt and Runningwind were at the camp entrance waiting for their apprentices, and Longtail was hurrying to join them.

Mousefur noticed her and meowed a cheery greeting. The ginger she-cat dipped her head in response, noting how large the small she-cat's belly was getting. _It won't be too much longer before she has her kits,_ Firesong thought. ThunderClan had plenty of apprentices now, and the nursery was nearly full. Frostfur still had her two younger kits (Thornkit and Brightkit) with her, and Speckletail had kitted two days ago. She named her kit, a white tom, Snowkit. One of Brindleface's kits had died the morning after she was born (Larkkit, the smallest of the litter), and Brindleface seemed to love her remaining kits even more fiercely now.

Firesong was suddenly overwhelmed by a pang of envy at the thought that all of the other cats in the Clan shared something that she did not- they were all Clanborn. Firesong had always been proud of her loyalty to the Clan that had taken her in, the Clan that had given her a life that she never would have known if she had remained a kittypet. She still felt that loyalty (if asked, she would immediately respond with the truth: she would die for ThunderClan in a heartbeat if she needed to) but no one in the Clan seemed to understand or even respect her kittypet roots (she could understand this, of course, but she wished they could be even a little bit more understanding about it!). Firesong felt certain that her sister would understand. With an ache in her heart, she wondered what memories they might share.

Firesong's ears pricked, hearing Graystripe's heavy footsteps behind her. As she turned to greet her friend, stretching her head to touch his nose, a thought popped into her head. "Could you take Cinderpaw out for the day?"

Graystripe looked confused for a moment before his expression turned curious. "Why?"

Shaking her head, she responded, "It's nothing too important. I just wanted to take a look at something I noticed yesterday when I was showing Cinderpaw how to stalk mice. Watch out for her, though- she's not exactly the best at taking orders. If you take your eyes off of her for a second, she'll be charging off in the opposite direction."

The gray tom in front of her twitched his whiskers, clearly amused. "She sounds like a pawful! Still, it'll be good for Brackenpaw. He doesn't do anything without thinking carefully about it first."

"Thanks, Graystripe!" she purred, bounding out of camp before her friend could ask where in StarClan's name she was going.

As the Twolegplace came into view through the pine trees, Firesong dropped into a crouch. She opened her mouth, breathing in the cold morning air. There was no sign of a ThunderClan patrol and no Twoleg scents. Relaxing a little, she approached the Twoleg fence that she'd seen her sister disappear into. She hesitated for a moment at the bottom, looking around nervously, before leaping on the fence post with one easy jump. No Twolegs to be seen- just an empty garden with strongly scented plants.

Firesong felt rather exposed on the post. The branch of a tree hung low overhead, but it had no leaves, though it would be easier to hide there. She pulled herself onto the branch and lay down to wait, flattening herself against the rough bark.

Firesong noticed the swinging of a flap in the entrance to the Twolegplace. She had used one similar to this as a kit. She fixed her gaze on the flap hopefully, waiting for her sister's face to appear. The sun rose slowly into the morning sky, but Firesong felt herself grow cold despite it. The damp branch was sucking the heat from her body. Perhaps the Twolegs were keeping her sister inside, considering she was so close to kitting. Firesong licked a paw, idly wondering if she should return to camp.

Suddenly, she heard a loud clatter. Firesong's head shot up. Her sister was emerging from the flap. The fur along her spine rippled with anticipation, and she had to fight from leaping into the garden immediately. She knew would frighten the tabby, as she had done yesterday. She no longer smelled like a kittypet- rather, she smelled of the forest.

Firesong waited until her sister had reached the end of the grass before creeping to the tip of the branch, sliding down onto the fence. She quietly jumped into the bushes below. The she-cat's scent brought back the images from her dreams.

How could she get the tabby's attention without frightening her? Desperately searching her mind, she tried to think of the name her sister had been given by their mother. She could only remember her own kittypet name. Firesong called softly from the bushes, "It's be, Ember!"

The tabby stopped in her tracks, looking around. Firesong took a deep breath and crept out from the bushes.

The she-cat's eyes widened with terror. Firesong flinched, though she knew how she must appear to her- lean and wild with the scents of the forest on her pelt. The she-cat hissed ferociously, raising her hackles. Firesong couldn't help but be impressed by her courage.

That's when she remembered the tabby's name. "Princess! It's be, Ember, your sister! Do you remember me?"

Princess remained tense. Firesong guessed she was wondering how she knew these names. Firesong dropped into a submissive crouch, hope soaring in her chest as her sister's expression turned from fear to curiosity.

"Ember?" Princess sniffed the air, wide-eyed and wary. Firesong took a careful step forward. When her sister didn't move, she edged closer until she was close enough to touch her.

"You don't smell like Ember," she meowed cautiously.

"I don't live with Twolegs anymore," she admitted. "I've been living in the forest with ThunderClan. I carry their scent now." _She probably doesn't even know what the Clans are_, she realized, remembering her own innocence before she'd met Graystripe. "I'm called Firesong now."

Princess stretched forward, rubbing her muzzle against her cheek. "Our mother's scent is still there," she murmured, half to herself. Suddenly she backed away, her eyes narrowed and her ears flat with distrust. "Why are you here?"

"I saw you a few days ago," Firesong explained. "I wanted to come and speak with you."

"Why?"

Firesong looked at her, surprise clearly etched on her face. "Because you're my sister!"

Princess studied her for a moment. To Firesong's relief, her guarded expression lifted. "You're very thin," she meowed critically.

"Thin for a kittypet, maybe, but not thin for a forest cat," she replied. "Your scent was in my dreams last night. I dreamed of you, our brothers and sister, and…" She paused. "Where is our mother?"

"She's still with her housefolk," Princess answered.

"What about…?"

Princess guessed what she was trying to ask. "…our brothers and sister? Most of them live near here. I see them in their gardens occasionally."

They sat in silence for a moment before Firesong asked, "Do you remember the soft bedding of our mother's basket?" She felt a flicker of guilt at the longing for such kittypet softness, but Princess purred.

"Oh, yes. I wish I could have it for my own kitting."

Firesong's discomfort faded. It was nice to be able to talk about this kind of thing without shame. "Will this litter be your first?"

Princess nodded, uncertainty showing in her green eyes. Firesong felt a wave of sympathy. Even though they were the same age, her sister seemed to her so very young and naïve. "You'll be fine," she meowed reassuringly, remembering Brindleface's and Speckletail's kitting. "You look as if your Twolegs treat you well. I'm sure your kits will be healthy and safe."

Her sister purred in response before tilting her head. "What about you?"

Firesong frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Do you have a mate or kits?"

Firesong felt her pelt grow warm, though it wasn't just at the question- Stonefur had flickered through her mind, even if it was just briefly. "No! No, definitely not!"

Princess looked amused at her response. "Are you sure? Surely there's at least someone who's interested in you."

Firesong shuffled her paws, embarrassed. "There… might be one cat," she admitted quietly. "One of my friends is acting… weird, too. Not quite himself."

Princess shot her a knowing look. "Oh, really? What are these two cats like?"

"W-well… Stonefur… when I first became a warrior, after my vigil was over, he made me a nest beside his. He's… protective, and very affectionate. He's always there if I need someone. And… the other one… his name's Graystripe. He's acting… not quite like himself, like I said. He was my first friend in ThunderClan, and we're really close… he's my best friend, you know? I don't know, he's just been oddly affectionate lately."

"It sounds to me," her sister mewed, "that both of them really like you. Personally… from what you've told me… it sounds like you like this Stonefur cat."

"What? N-no! Definitely not," she stuttered, staring at her with wide eyes.

"Whatever you say," Princess purred. "Anyway- you mentioned a ThunderClan. What's that?"

Firesong shoved away the thoughts of Stonefur and Graystripe and nodded. "There are four Clans in the forest. ThunderClan, the Clan I belong to, occupies the forest. RiverClan takes the area with the river, obviously, because they hunt fish. WindClan has the moorlands. ShadowClan lives in the marshy area. In a Clan, we take care of each other. Apprentices, who are in training to become warriors, hunt for the elders, and warriors protect the hunting grounds from other Clans. I trained all greenleaf to become a warrior. I have an apprentice of my own now." Firesong could see by her bemused expression that her sister couldn't understand everything she was telling her, but her eyes brightened with pleasure as she spoke of the Clans.

"It sounds like you enjoy your life," she meowed in awe.

A Twoleg voice called from the house. Firesong instantly darted under the nearest bush.

"I should go," Princess meowed. "They'll be worried if I don't go back, and I have many tiny mouths to feed. I can feel them moving inside me." She looked down at her swollen belly, her green eyes soft.

Firesong looked out from beneath the bush. "Go, then. I need to return to my own Clan, anyway, but I'll come back and see you."

"Yes, I'd like that!" Princess called over her shoulder. She was already trotting back toward her Twoleg nest. "Goodbye, Firesong!"

As soon as her sister disappeared into the nest, Firesong crept out of the bush and leaped to the top of the fence post. She jumped down, heading back into the forest with memories of her kithood in her mind.

Firesong paused about halfway back to camp. _It'll look suspicious if I don't bring back prey, _she thought, sniffing the air and beginning her hunt.

Once she'd caught as much as she could carry, she returned to camp. She carried a vole, a mouse, and wood pigeon. The sun was setting, and the Clan cats were gathering for their evening meal. Graystripe, Dustpelt, Ravenfeather, and Sandstorm were eating by the nettle clump. Firesong nodded to them as she padded to the pile of fresh-kill that had already been collected.

Tigerclaw, who was sitting below the Highrock, narrowed his amber eyes at her. "I noticed that Cinderpaw spent the day with Graystripe. Where were you?"

Dropping her catches onto the pile, and she returned the deputy's gaze. "It seemed like a good day for hunting- too good to waste," she answered, feigning a look of innocence. "The Clan needs all the fresh-kill it can get at the moment."

Tigerclaw nodded, though suspicion darkened his eyes. "Yes, but we also need warriors. Cinderpaw's training is your responsibility, not Graystripe's."

"I understand, Tigerclaw," she meowed, dipping her head respectfully. "I'll take her out for battle training tomorrow."

"Good." The deputy turned his head and looked around camp. Firesong picked up the mouse she'd caught and padded over to her friends, settling down between Sandstorm and Dustpelt.

"Find what you were looking for?" Graystripe meowed, taking another bite of his chaffinch.

"Yes," the ginger she-cat answered, hungrily taking a bite out of the mouse. "I'm sorry about leaving Cinderpaw with you, though."

Dustpelt shot her a curious look. "What were you looking for?"

"I thought I saw something yesterday when I was teaching Cinderpaw how to stalk mice," she lied. "I thought I'd check it out, but I wanted to do it myself."

The brown tabby at her side nodded, finishing off his vole.

She turned her head towards the apprentices' den, watching her apprentice. Cinderpaw was lying beside the old tree stump, chatting enthusiastically to the other apprentices. Brackenpaw nodded from time to time while plucking feathers from a sparrow. Swiftpaw, who was perched on the stump, commented on something she was saying, earning a playful glare. The other apprentices laughed.

Firesong saw Dapplepaw turn and meow something to her sisters, who purred in response. Seeing them together reminded Firesong once again of Princess. For the first time, the familiar sights of his Clan made her feel uneasy. She'd been careful to lick all of her sister's scent from her pelt before returning to camp, but it still lingered in her nose as the sun disappeared over the distant horizon. She had found the closeness that she'd been longing for, but it had given shape to a sense of loneliness that, until now, had lain vague and nameless in her heart.

**LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE**

"Another day of sunshine!" Firesong purred to Graystripe, feeling her flame-colored pelt glow in the weak morning sun. Thanks to the fine weather, she'd been visiting Princess nearly every day recently, slipping away to see her between patrols, hunting, and training sessions. Now she was walking with her friends (Dustpelt, Ravenfeather, and though they weren't close, Runningwind) along the short trail to the sandy hollow Cinderpaw, Brackenpaw, Leafpaw, Dapplepaw, and Moonpaw were.

"Let's hope it stays clear for the rest of leaf-bare," Graystripe grumbled in response. Firesong knew how much her thick-coated friend hated rain- when his fur got wet, it clung to him and stayed damp long after Firesong's shorter fur had dried off.

The five warriors arrived at the edge of the hollow just as Cinderpaw and Leafpaw tumbled into a clump of frozen leaves. The two were in the middle of play-fighting.

"At least those two will be ready for today's assessment," Dustpelt meowed, watching them with amusement.

Dapplepaw jumped to her paws, greeting her mentor. "Good morning, Dustpelt. What _is_ the assignment, anyway?"

"A hunting mission," he responded gruffly.

Cinderpaw perked up from her place beside Leafpaw. "Where? What are we going to catch?"

"You and Brackenpaw are going to the Sunningrocks," Firesong replied, sharing her enthusiasm. "We'll catch whatever we can." She turned and nodded to Runningwind, Ravenfeather, and Dustpelt, meowing that she'd talk to them later. She, Graystripe, and their apprentices then set off to the Sunningrocks.

When they reached them, Cinderpaw and Brackenpaw stared with wide eyes. Brackenpaw was the first to speak. "Is this where Redtail died?"

"Yes," Firesong answered cautiously.

"And where Tigerclaw avenged his death by killing Oakheart?" Cinderpaw piped up.

Firesong's fur prickled, remembering what Ravenfeather had told her. Tigerclaw had killed _Redtail _after Oakheart had been killed. She pushed away the disturbing thought and answered, "This is this place." The two apprentices fell silent and looked down the slope in awe.

Suddenly, Firesong heard a noise. She pricked her ears. "Hush," she murmured. "What can you hear?"

The two apprentices strained their ears forward.

"I think I can hear something scrabbling," Brackenpaw whispered.

"It might be a vole," Graystripe responded quietly. "Can you tell where it's coming from?"

"Over there!" mewed Cinderpaw, leaping to her paws. The scrabbling noise became more furious and then disappeared.

"I think it heard you," Firesong remarked. Cinderpaw looked crestfallen. Brackenpaw purred with amusement at his sister's clumsiness.

"Nevermind," Graystripe meowed. "Now you know why it's better to creep up slowly, especially on voles. They're fast!"

"Sit still and listen," Firesong advised. "Next time we hear something, work out where it is and then begin to move toward it very slowly. A mouse could probably hear even the rustling of your fur, so let him think it's just the wind blowing across the rock."

The cats remained where they were, no one daring to move until they heard the scrabbling sound again. Ears pricked, Firesong rose and crept forward, placing each paw noiselessly in front of each other until she reached the edge of a small crack that ran across the rock face. She paused. The scrabbling noise continued. Firesong lunged forward and reached down the crack with a forepaw. She scooped out a fat vole that had been hiding in the shadows and flung it onto the bright stone. It squealed as it landed, but the hard ground stunned it and Firesong finished it off quickly.

"Wow!" Cinderpaw exclaimed, jumping to her paws. "I want to do that!"

"Don't worry; you'll have plenty of chances. For now, let's get back to the forest," Graystripe meowed.

"Aren't we going to catch anything else?" Cinderpaw protested.

"Did you hear that vole squeal?" Firesong inquired. When Cinderpaw nodded, she continued, "Well, so did every other creature around here. The prey will be hiding for a while. I should've caught it and killed it before it could make a sou- Graystripe, be quiet!"

Graystripe's whiskers twitched with amusement. "I wasn't saying anything," he purred.

Firesong picked up the dead vole in her mouth, and together the cats headed down the slope and began to trek onward through the forest. After the open warmth of the Sunningrocks, the woods seemed chilly, even though sunhigh was approaching. Firesong smelled the fresh markers at the RiverClan border. Beyond them, the ground sloped down to meet the river.

"The river's quiet today," she remarked through a mouthful of vole.

"That's because it's frozen!" Cinderpaw meowed excitedly. "I can see it through the trees!"

Firesong dropped the vole. "Frozen? Completely?" She stared down the wooded slope. The river glittered at the bottom, frosty and still. Could Cinderpaw be right? Firesong's paws tingled with excitement. She'd never seen the river frozen over.

"Can we look?" asked Cinderpaw. Without waiting, she bounded past the scent markers. Firesong's excitement turned into panic when she saw the small gray she-cat disappear into RiverClan territory. She couldn't call after her- she didn't want to alert any RiverClan patrols that may be around. She left the vole where she'd dropped it, tearing after her with Graystripe and Brackenpaw close behind her.

They caught up with Cinderpaw at the edge of the river. It was almost totally frozen, apart from a narrow channel of dark water that flower stiffly between two wide fringes of ice. Firesong remembered Whiteclaw with a shudder. She was about to suggest that they leave when Cinderpaw stepped onto the ice, excitedly padding around on it.

"This is so cool!" she squealed. A quiet sound made Firesong prick her ears. She heard it again, though this time it was louder.

_The ice is cracking._

"Cinderpaw!" she yowled. "Get off of there!" As she finished her sentence, Cinderpaw's head shot up in alarm- right as the ice cracked beneath her weight. The gray she-cat was sucked under the ice.

A black blur raced past her and dove into the water after her apprentice. _Ravenfeather! What is he doing here?_

The black tom emerged halfway down the bank with Cinderpaw in his jaws. He managed to get Cinderpaw onto the bank, but the current of the river swept him further downstream. Firesong bolted down the bank, desperate to reach her apprentice. She was about to keep going to reach Ravenfeather, but a silver cat slipped into the water, swimming confidently after the ThunderClan warrior. She grasped his scruff and pulled him onto ThunderClan territory with ease.

Ravenfeather coughed, spitting out water. "Thanks," he croaked.

"Idiot!" the she-cat spat, flattening her ears. "What are you doing on my territory?"

The black tom looked up at her, wheezing, "Saving an apprentice and nearly drowning?"

The silver tabby flicked an ear, and Firesong saw a glimmer of amusement in her blue eyes. "Can't you drown yourself and save an apprentice in your own territory?"

"Who would save me there, though?"

There was a tiny meow from Firesong's side that reminded her Cinderpaw was still there. "Cinderpaw! Are you okay?" Graystripe and Brackenpaw caught up to them, panting.

Cinderpaw was shuddering violently. "T-that water was c-co-cold," she stuttered.

Firesong sighed. "Of course it was! It was frozen over where you were! Let's get you back to camp so you can see Yellowfang."

Ravenfeather and the she-cat were still talking.

Graystripe padded over, nudging the tom to his feet. "You need to see Yellowfang, too, Ravenfeather," he meowed.

As they were padding away (Cinderpaw was leaning on Brackenpaw for support, and Ravenfeather was leaning on Graystripe), Ravenfeather turned his head to the she-cat. "What's your name?"

"Silverstream," she replied, bounding away into RiverClan territory.

**Superstar by Jamelia may or may not have been planning when Ravenfeather saved Cinderpaw and when Silverstream saved Ravenfeather. –shifty eyes- Anyway. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had to cut it short because, for one, I didn't want to do more on this chapter. …and two, I need to get off, like, now. Ahahaha…**

**~watermellonfuzz**


	14. Final chapter

**Hey, guys. I KNOW I haven't updated since October (didn't realize it'd been that long, oops), but… guys, I'm going to be a sophomore next year in high school, and after the very last Warriors book came out, I was RELIEVED. Call me a bad fan or whatever, but honestly, I'm tired of the series. I've tried to get the inspiration to write more, but… if you aren't enjoying what you're writing, what's the point? Hint: the answer is "there isn't one."**

**But, as I can't just LEAVE the story like that, I've decided to let y'all know how the story would've turned out. With drabbles, because I adore drabbles… and they're so much easier to write than pages and pages of words.**

**~watermellonfuzz**

It wasn't entirely unexpected, honestly, even to a cat as dense as Firesong. The ginger she-cat could tell- well, actually, the whole Clan could tell- that she and Stonefur were closer than normal Clanmates were. Because of that, she really wasn't surprised when the gray tom asked her to be his mate… nor was he surprised when she accepted. He was older than her, obviously, and probably too old, honestly… but when had that stopped any other cat?

X-X-X-X

She was worried about Graystripe. He was miserable, and she knew it was because she was mates with Stonefur. She was grateful, though, that Sandstorm seemed to be taking her place. The tom deserved some happiness in his life.

Ravenfeather had betrayed them. Well, not really betrayed, in Firesong's eyes. He fell in love. Though it was wrong, and she didn't approve of his choice, she acknowledged it and grieved with him over Silverstream.

X-X-X-X

Ravenfeather was gone. He took his kits to RiverClan and stayed there. Firesong couldn't sleep that night.

X-X-X-X

She'd convinced her friends and Stonefur (though it'd taken a lot of convincing before Stonefur accepted it) that Tigerclaw was indeed a traitor. The real challenge, though, was Bluestar, who refused to accept it.

X-X-X-X

She padded in a bit of a daze out of Yellowfang's den, both excited and incredibly worried at the same time. Kits? It all seemed so soon! Would she even be a good mother? When she told Stonefur, he seemed to have the same reaction in the way of excitement and worry, but he was certain she'd be a wonderful mother.

X-X-X-X

Bluestar was a mess, and it wasn't surprising, either. Her deputy, a cat she'd known since his birth, had betrayed her and his Clan. But, the thing was, this wasn't just her getting over a single treachery; the elderly she-cat was slowly losing her mind, and Firesong could do nothing about it… especially not with kits on the way.

X-X-X-X

Firesong was deputy. She'd protested, as had the rest of the Clan, that she couldn't possibly be deputy when she was a queen! Bluestar, however, would hear none of it. If Firesong wasn't the deputy, there would be no ThunderClan successor, according to the blue-furred cat… so Firesong resigned herself to her fate, but later pleaded with the senior warriors to take care of everything until after she'd kitted. Goldenflower, Whitestorm, and Willowpelt had been particularly sympathetic, agreeing easily to it.

X-X-X-X

She and Stonefur watched as their kits opened their eyes for the first time. Fawnkit, a light brown tabby she-cat with a white underbelly, tail, and paws, had her father's blue eyes. She looked a lot like Princess, really. Nightkit was a black she-cat, the smallest of the litter, and had a spiky pelt and green eyes. Dawnkit was the third and final she-kit, and she resembled Firesong strongly, except for the dark ginger paws. Duskkit was the only tom, and he was his father's spitting image.

They would make ThunderClan proud, she was certain.

X-X-X-X

Ravenfeather was back, and he'd left his kits in RiverClan. While she felt bad for him, she was pleased he was back home where he belonged.

X-X-X-X

Bluestar was dead, and there was nothing Firesong could do to bring her former mentor, her former leader, and her former friend back. Once again, she resigned herself to her fate and took over the leadership of her Clan.

X-X-X-X

Scourge was a monster. What cat could rip nine lives from a leader like that? While she hated Tigerstar with every fiber of her being, she never… that was just… gruesome. No one deserved to go out like that.

X-X-X-X

She was going to kill Scourge. He murdered Stonefur.

X-X-X-X

So many seasons had passed since her first step into the old forest. So many seasons had passed since Stonefur died, since her kits became apprentices and then warriors… so many seasons. And now, here she was, lying in the stone hollow, about to take her final breath. She'd killed Tigerstar for good. The Dark Forest wouldn't rise again- not if she could prevent it. Her kits were around her, begging her _no no no not yet don't go you can't leave_, but she had to, she needed to, because Stonefur was waiting for her. Brambleclaw, her last apprentice, her deputy, her friend… he would be a good leader. He would make her proud.

She murmured one last encouragement- "Be strong,"- and took her last breath.

Firestar, the legendary kittypet leader of ThunderClan, was dead.

**Feel free to ask questions about what happened to some of the characters. I've left a lot out, so I don't blame you for being confused or anything.**


End file.
